Shloka 57
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
ते निकृत्तायुधा: शूरा निर्विषा भुजगा इव
te nikṛttāyudhāḥ śūrā nirviṣā bhujagā iva
ते निकृत्तायुधाः शूरा निर्विषा भुजगा इव। आकृत्या भीषणाः सन्तो हतशक्तिप्रहारकाः॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that courage alone is not sufficient in conflict; effectiveness depends on the instruments and capacities that enable action. Ethically, it also evokes the pathos of warriors rendered powerless—suggesting how quickly battlefield status can shift from threat to vulnerability.
Sañjaya describes warriors who have been disarmed (their weapons cut away). He compares them to snakes that have lost their venom—still appearing dangerous, but no longer able to deliver their decisive harm.