सैन्यानि द्रावयन्तं तु द्रोणो दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः ॥
ततः सुनिशितैर् बाणैः पार्थं विव्याध सप्तभिः ॥
सो ऽतिविद्धो महाबाहुः सृक्किणी परिसंलिहन् ॥
युधिष्ठिरस्य चिच्छेद ध्वजं कार्मुकम् एव च ॥
स छिन्नधन्वा त्वरितस् त्वराकाले नृपोत्तमः ॥
अन्यद् आदत्त वेगेन कार्मुकं समरे दृढम् ॥
ततः शरसहस्रेण द्रोणं विव्याध पार्थिवः ॥
साश्वसूतध्वजरथं तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत् ॥
sainyāni drāvayantaṃ tu droṇo dṛṣṭvā yudhiṣṭhiram ||
abhidudrāva vegena krodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ ||
tataḥ suniśitair bāṇaiḥ pārthaṃ vivyādha saptabhiḥ ||
so 'tividdho mahābāhuḥ sṛkkiṇī parisaṃlihan ||
yudhiṣṭhirasya ciccheda dhvajaṃ kārmukam eva ca ||
sa chinnadhanvā tvaritas tvarākāle nṛpottamaḥ ||
anyad ādatta vegena kārmukaṃ samare dṛḍham ||
tataḥ śarasahasreṇa droṇaṃ vivyādha pārthivaḥ ||
sāśvasūtadhvajarathaṃ tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Seeing Yudhishthira routing his armies, Drona charged at him headlong, his eyes suffused with rage. Then he pierced Partha with seven razor-sharp arrows; and he, cruelly wounded, mighty-armed, licking the corners of his mouth, cut both the banner and the bow of Yudhishthira. He, his bow now broken, swiftly took up, in that hour demanding haste, another sturdy bow in the fray — that best of kings. Then the king pierced Drona with a thousand arrows, together with his horses, charioteer, standard and chariot; and it was as though a marvel.
77ad046ce9c2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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The teacher and the righteous king meet face to face, and Yudhishthira, so often shielded by others, here himself showers Drona with a thousand arrows — 'as though a marvel.' It is telling that Drona 'licks the corners of his mouth': an ancient sign of battle-frenzy, terrifying in a venerable brahmin teacher. The verse teaches that war erases familiar roles: the gentle becomes fearsome, the teacher becomes fierce, and the bonds of tutelage and royal duty turn into deadly confrontation.