Mahabharata 7.170.16 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 170, Shloka 16
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
तावुभौ शरनुन्नाज़ौ शरकण्टकितौ रणे । व्यभ्राजेतां महाराज श्वाविधौ शललैरिव
tāv ubhau śara-nunnāv śara-kaṇṭakitau raṇe | vyabhrājetāṃ mahārāja śvāvidhau śalalair iva ||
మహారాజా! యుద్ధరంగంలో ఆ ఇద్దరూ బాణాలతో ఛేదింపబడి, బాణరూప కంటకాలతో నిండిపోయి, ముల్లులతో కప్పబడిన రెండు ముళ్లపందుల వలె ప్రకాశించారు।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of martial glory: warriors may 'shine' through steadfastness, yet the splendor is inseparable from pain inflicted and endured. It invites reflection on the cost of kṣatriya duty and the ethical weight of violence even when performed within dharma.
Sañjaya describes two opposing fighters in close combat, both riddled with each other’s arrows. Their bodies, studded with shafts, resemble two porcupines whose quills stand out, creating a vivid image of the battle’s intensity.
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