Mahabharata 7.21.49 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 49
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
शिखण्डी तु ततो द्रोणं पठचभिर्नतपर्वभि: । क्षत्रवर्मा च विंशत्या वसुदानश्च पञठ्चभि:
sañjaya uvāca |
śikhaṇḍī tu tato droṇaṃ pañcabhir nataparvabhiḥ |
kṣatravarmā ca viṃśatyā vasudānaś ca pañcabhiḥ ||
三阇耶说道：随后，尸佉ṇḍī以五支关节弯曲的箭矢射中德罗ṇa。继而，刹多罗跋摩以二十箭、婆苏达那以五箭，也在战场上使德罗ṇācārya负伤——这正显出战争无情推进的势头：在相互冲突的职责与忠诚之间，连受人敬仰的师长也难免成为箭靶。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: in war, even venerable figures like Droṇa are subjected to violence when loyalties and perceived duties collide. It invites reflection on how dharma becomes contested in extreme circumstances, and how the battlefield compresses moral complexity into urgent action.
Sañjaya reports that Śikhaṇḍī first pierces Droṇa with five distinctive arrows; then Kṣatravarmā and Vasudāna also strike him with twenty and five arrows respectively, contributing to Droṇa’s wounding amid the ongoing battle.
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