Shloka 386

Devanagari script

भल्लाभ्यां भृशतीक्ष्णाभ्यां चिच्छेद धनुषी तयो: । महाराज! तब आचार्य द्रोणने क्रोध और अमर्षसे युक्त हो दो अत्यन्त तीखे भल्लोंद्वारा उन दोनोंके धनुष काट डाले

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | bhallābhyāṃ bhṛśatīkṣṇābhyāṃ ciccheda dhanuṣī tayoḥ | mahārāja! tadā ācāryo droṇaḥ krodha-amārṣa-yuktaḥ dvābhyām atyantatīkṣṇābhyāṃ bhallābhyāṃ tayor dhanuṣī chittvā ||

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—महाराज, ततः क्रोधामर्षसमन्वितो द्रोणाचार्यः भृशतीक्ष्णाभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां तयोर्धनुषी चिच्छेद।

Word by Word

भल्लाभ्याम्with two arrows (bhallas)

भृशतीक्ष्णाभ्याम्with two very sharp (ones)

चिच्छेदcut / severed

धनुषीthe two bows

तयोःof those two

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra (Mahārāja)

Drona

bhalla arrows

bows (dhanuṣ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how formidable skill in warfare can be intensified by inner states like anger and indignation; ethically, it invites reflection on the danger of krodha (wrath) in decision-making, even when one is highly capable and acting within the battlefield role.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Drona, provoked and enraged, uses two razor-sharp bhalla arrows to cut the bows of two opposing warriors, disabling their ability to fight effectively for the moment.