द्रोणं कर्णं कृपं शल्यं द्रौणिं भोजं बृहद्बलम् ॥
दुर्योधनं सौमदत्तिं शकुनिं च महाबलम् ॥
नानानृपान् नृपसुतान् सैन्यानि विविधानि च ॥
अलातचक्रवत् सर्वांश् चरन् बाणैः समभ्ययात् ॥
निघ्नन्न् अमित्रान् सौभद्रः परमास्त्रः प्रतापवान् ॥
अदर्शयत तेजस्वी दिक्षु सर्वासु भारत ॥
droṇaṃ karṇaṃ kṛpaṃ śalyaṃ drauṇiṃ bhojaṃ bṛhadbalam ||
duryodhanaṃ saumadattiṃ śakuniṃ ca mahābalam ||
nānānṛpān nṛpasutān sainyāni vividhāni ca ||
alātacakravat sarvāṃś caran bāṇaiḥ samabhyayāt ||
nighnann amitrān saubhadraḥ paramāstraḥ pratāpavān ||
adarśayata tejasvī dikṣu sarvāsu bhārata ||
Drona, Karna, Kripa, Shalya, the son of Drona, Bhoja, Brihadbala, Duryodhana, the son of Somadatta, and the mighty Shakuni, various kings, princes, and diverse hosts — like a fire-wheel, rushing among them all, he overtook them with arrows. Slaying his foes, the son of Subhadra, wielding the supreme astras, valorous and radiant, showed himself in every direction, O Bharata.
250c6b922836 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
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The youth is likened to a 'fire-wheel' (alāta-cakra) — a whirled torch that appears a solid ring of flame: he moves so swiftly that he seems present everywhere at once. The list of the most formidable foes he overtakes reveals the disproportion between one and many. It is telling that the tradition chooses the image of fire tracing a circle — swiftness turning into visible omnipresence. The verse teaches that perfect speed makes one appear as many, and a master seems present everywhere at once, like a torch tracing a wheel of fire; that the valor of one can encompass the whole field, overtaking the mightiest one after another; and that in this image of the blazing wheel is revealed not only the youth's might but also his radiance — for he does not merely strike, but shines, illuminating the battle.