ततो ऽर्जुनः शरव्रातान् द्रोणस्यावार्य सायकैः ॥
द्रोणम् अभ्यर्दयद् बाणैर् घोररूपैर् महत्तरैः ॥
विव्याध च रणे द्रोणम् अनुमान्य विशां पते ॥
क्षत्रधर्मं समास्थाय नवभिः सायकैः पुनः ॥
तस्येषून् इषुभिश् छित्त्वा द्रोणो विव्याध ताव् उभौ ॥
विषाग्निज्वलनप्रख्यैर् इषुभिः कृष्णपाण्डवौ ॥
tato 'rjunaḥ śaravrātān droṇasyāvārya sāyakaiḥ ||
droṇam abhyardayad bāṇair ghorarūpair mahattaraiḥ ||
vivyādha ca raṇe droṇam anumānya viśāṃ pate ||
kṣatradharmaṃ samāsthāya navabhiḥ sāyakaiḥ punaḥ ||
tasyeṣūn iṣubhiś chittvā droṇo vivyādha tāv ubhau ||
viṣāgnijvalanaprakhyair iṣubhiḥ kṛṣṇapāṇḍavau ||
Then Arjuna, having warded off Drona's clouds of arrows with his own, pressed Drona with arrows of terrible aspect, very great. And he pierced Drona in battle — having honored him, o lord of peoples, abiding by kshatriya dharma — again with nine arrows. Having cut his arrows with arrows, Drona pierced both, Krishna and the Pandava, with arrows like poison and blazing fire.
7d2d37805a87 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
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Even as he strikes his teacher, Arjuna 'anumānya… kṣatradharmaṃ samāsthāya,' honoring him and abiding by kshatriya dharma: he strikes only out of duty, not malice, and with reverence. It is telling that the fight is conducted within the bounds of dharma — a duel of duty, not enmity. The verse teaches that even unavoidable combat must be waged in purity: to strike an opponent while honoring him and not departing from dharma; and a battle in which reverence for a worthy foe does not fade remains righteous, for it is moved not by hatred but by each one's fidelity to duty.