Shloka 16
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
एवमुक््त्वा महाबाहुर्महद् विस्फार्य कार्मुकम् । भारद्वाजस्ततो भीम॑ षड्विंशत्या समार्पयत्,कौरव महारथियोंसे पूर्वोक्त बात कहनेके पश्चात् महाबाहु भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणाचार्यने अपने विशाल धनुषको खींचकर भीमसेनको छब्बीस बाण मारे
evam uktvā mahābāhur mahad visphārya kārmukam | bhāradvājas tato bhīmaṃ ṣaḍviṃśatyā samārpayat ||
Sañjaya disse: Tendo falado assim, o filho de Bhāradvāja (Droṇa), de braços poderosos, retesou por completo o seu grande arco e então atingiu Bhīmasena com vinte e seis flechas. A cena ressalta a escalada implacável da batalha, em que destreza e determinação se exibem sem pausa, enquanto o peso moral de uma guerra fratricida paira sobre cada ato.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior code (kṣatriya-dharma) in action—decisive, disciplined use of skill—while implicitly reminding the listener that such prowess unfolds within the tragic moral tension of a kin-slaying war.
After making a prior statement, Droṇa draws his great bow and strikes Bhīma with twenty-six arrows; Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra as part of the unfolding battle account.