तम् अभ्ययाद् बृहत्क्षत्रः केकयानां महारथः ॥
भ्रातॄणां वीरपञ्चानां ज्येष्ठः समरकर्कशः ॥
विमुञ्चन् विशिखांस् तीक्ष्णान् आचार्यं छादयन् भृशम् ॥
महामेघो यथा वर्षं विमुञ्चन् गन्धमादने ॥
तस्य द्रोणो महाराज स्वर्णपुङ्खाञ् शिलाशितान् ॥
प्रेषयाम् आस संक्रुद्धः सायकान् दश सप्त च ॥
तांस् तु द्रोणधनुर्मुक्तान् घोरान् आशीविषोपमान् ॥
एकैकं दशभिर् बाणैर् युधि चिच्छेद हृष्टवत् ॥
tam abhyayād bṛhatkṣatraḥ kekayānāṃ mahārathaḥ ||
bhrātṝṇāṃ vīrapañcānāṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ samarakarkaśaḥ ||
vimuñcan viśikhāṃs tīkṣṇān ācāryaṃ chādayan bhṛśam ||
mahāmegho yathā varṣaṃ vimuñcan gandhamādane ||
tasya droṇo mahārāja svarṇapuṅkhāñ śilāśitān ||
preṣayām āsa saṃkruddhaḥ sāyakān daśa sapta ca ||
tāṃs tu droṇadhanurmuktān ghorān āśīviṣopamān ||
ekaikaṃ daśabhir bāṇair yudhi ciccheda hṛṣṭavat ||
Against him moved Brihatkshatra, the great warrior of the Kekayas, eldest of the five hero-brothers, harsh in battle, loosing sharp arrows, densely covering the teacher, as a great cloud pours down rain upon Gandhamadana. At him Drona, O great king, enraged, sent seventeen gold-feathered arrows honed on stone; and those, sped from Drona's bow, dreadful, like venomous serpents, he cut down each with ten arrows in battle, joyfully.
9d5837f6f51d · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:17:33 PM UTC
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Brihatkshatra cuts down Drona's dreadful arrows ten for each, "hṛṣṭavat" — joyfully: a worthy opponent meets a master without fear, with elation. It is telling that his valor draws respect even from the messenger. The verse teaches that meeting greatness does not frighten the courageous but inspires them: for the truly brave, a formidable foe is not terror but joy, for in him one tests and reveals one's own valor.