Mahabharata 7.109.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 109, Shloka 2
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 109 — Karṇa–Bhīma Yuddha and Durmukha’s Fall (कर्णभीमयुद्धम्; दुर्मुखवधः)
संजय कहते हैं--महाराज! तदनन्तर सुदृढ़ पराक्रमी केकयराज बृहत्क्षत्रकों आते देख क्षेमधूर्तिने अनेक बाणोंद्वारा उनकी छातीमें गहरी चोट पहुँचायी ।।
sañjaya uvāca | tad-anantaraṃ sudṛḍha-parākramaḥ kekaya-rājā bṛhatkṣatraṃ samāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣemadhūrtiḥ anekaiḥ bāṇaiḥ tasya vakṣasi gāḍhaṃ prahāram akarot || bṛhatkṣatraḥ tu taṃ rājā navatyā nataparvaṇām | ājau jalmene tvarito rājan droṇānīka-bibhitsayā kṣemadhūrtiṃ vyathayām āsa ||
Sañjaya nói: “Tâu Đại vương, sau đó, thấy vua Kaikeya Bṛhatkṣatra dũng mãnh đang tiến đến, Kṣemadhūrti bắn nhiều mũi tên khiến ngực ông bị thương sâu. Nhưng Bṛhatkṣatra, nhanh nhẹn và quả quyết giữa trận tiền, đã bắn trả chín mươi mũi tên có khớp cong, làm đối thủ bị thương, vì muốn phá vỡ trận thế của Droṇa.”
संजय उवाच
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The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of steadfast courage and tactical intent: blows are exchanged not merely in anger but with strategic aims (here, the disruption of Droṇa’s formation), showing how duty and battlefield intelligence intertwine in epic warfare.
Kṣemadhūrti first wounds the advancing Kekaya king Bṛhatkṣatra with many arrows. Bṛhatkṣatra immediately retaliates, striking Kṣemadhūrti with ninety arrows, motivated by the aim of breaking up Droṇa’s battle-array.
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