Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 79
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
तथैव शरवर्षेण उलूकं॑ समविद्धयत । उलूकश्चापि त॑ं बाणैर्निशितैलोमवाहिभि:
tathaiva śaravarṣeṇa ulūkaṃ samaviddhayat | ulūkaś cāpi taṃ bāṇair niśitair lomavāhibhiḥ, rājan |
Sañjaya disse: Do mesmo modo, o rei de Cedi atingiu Ulūka com uma chuva de flechas. Ulūka também, ó Rei, revidou traspassando-o com dardos afiados e emplumados. Assim, no campo de batalha, cada um enfrentou o assalto do outro com igual firmeza, mostrando como, na guerra, a valentia e a retaliação respondem uma à outra sem demora, enquanto o custo moral dessas feridas mútuas continua a se acumular.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the reciprocity of violence in battle: aggression is met with counter-aggression. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, this underscores the grim momentum of war—while kṣatriyas display valor and duty, each exchange deepens the burden of harm and the cycle of retaliation.
Sañjaya reports that the Cedi king showers Ulūka with arrows and pierces him; Ulūka immediately responds by striking the Cedi king with sharp, feathered arrows. It is a direct duel marked by mutual wounding.