Shloka 29
Saubhadra under Concentrated Assault; Pārṣata’s Intervention and Escalation
तामस्य विशिखैस्तूर्ण पातयामास भारत । रथादनवरूढस्य तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,इस प्रकार धनुष कट जाने और घोड़े तथा सारथिके मारे जानेपर रथहीन हुए धृष्टद्युम्न हाथमें गदा लेकर उतरने लगे। भारत! इतनेहीमें अपने महान् पौरुषका परिचय देते हुए द्रोणाचार्यने तुरंत ही बाण मारकर रथसे उतरते-उतरते ही उनकी गदाको भी गिरा दिया। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना हुई
tāmasya viśikhaiḥ tūrṇaṁ pātayāmāsa bhārata | rathād anavarūḍhasya tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Ó Bharata, Droṇa o atingiu prontamente com flechas agudas e fez cair sua arma quando ele ainda não havia descido por completo do carro. Pareceu quase maravilhoso—uma assombrosa demonstração de maestria marcial em meio à batalha.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined mastery and alertness in action: in the chaos of war, a warrior’s preparedness and precision can decisively shape outcomes. Ethically, it reflects the Mahabharata’s recurring tension between personal valor and the relentless mechanics of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma).
As the targeted warrior is in the act of getting down from his chariot, Drona immediately shoots and makes his weapon fall. Sanjaya frames it as an ‘adbhuta’—a startling, almost unbelievable feat of timing and archery.