Mahabharata 7.21.50 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 50
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
उत्तमौजास्त्रिभिाणिे: क्षत्रदेवश्च सप्तभि: । सात्यकिश्न शतेनाजौ युधामन्युस्तथाष्टभि:
sañjaya uvāca | uttamaujās tribhir bāṇaiḥ kṣatradevaś ca saptabhiḥ | sātyakiś ca śatena ajau yudhāmanyus tathāṣṭabhiḥ |
Disse Sañjaya: Naquela batalha, Uttamaujas feriu Droṇa com três flechas, e Kṣatradeva com sete. Sātyaki, no auge do combate, traspassou-o com cem, e Yudhāmanyu também com oito. A cena ressalta o sombrio ímpeto da guerra: muitos guerreiros justos, movidos pelo dever e pela necessidade, convergem sobre um único mestre das armas, fazendo do campo de batalha uma prova de determinação, contenção e do custo trágico do dharma buscado pela violência.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of dharma in war: even a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a target when duty to one’s side and the perceived necessity of ending a destructive threat override personal reverence. It invites reflection on how righteous intent can still entail grievous harm in a dharmic crisis.
Sañjaya reports a coordinated attack in which multiple warriors—Uttamaujas, Kṣatradeva, Sātyaki, and Yudhāmanyu—strike Droṇa with specified numbers of arrows, emphasizing the intensity of the assault and Droṇa’s central, dangerous presence on the battlefield.
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