सो ऽतिविद्धो महेष्वासः संभ्रान्त इव संयुगे ॥
भल्लेन शितधारेण चिच्छेदास्य महद् धनुः ॥
यच् चास्य बाणं विकृतं धनूंषि च विशां पते ॥
सर्वं संछिद्य दुर्धर्षो गदां खड्गम् अथापि च ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नं ततो ऽविध्यन् नवभिर् निशितैः शरैः ॥
जीवितान्तकरैः क्रुद्धः क्रुद्धरूपं परंतपः ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नरथस्याश्वान् स्वरथाश्वैर् महारथः ॥
अमिश्रयद् अमेयात्मा ब्राह्मम् अस्त्रम् उदीरयन् ॥
so 'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ saṃbhrānta iva saṃyuge ||
bhallena śitadhāreṇa cicchedāsya mahad dhanuḥ ||
yac cāsya bāṇaṃ vikṛtaṃ dhanūṃṣi ca viśāṃ pate ||
sarvaṃ saṃchidya durdharṣo gadāṃ khaḍgam athāpi ca ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ tato 'vidhyan navabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
jīvitāntakaraiḥ kruddhaḥ kruddharūpaṃ paraṃtapaḥ ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnarathasyāśvān svarathāśvair mahārathaḥ ||
amiśrayad ameyātmā brāhmam astram udīrayan ||
He, the great archer, cruelly pierced, as though bewildered in the clash, cut his great bow with a broad, sharp-edged arrow. And whatever arrow of his was nocked, and his bows, O lord of the peoples — having cut through all of it, the unassailable one, the mace and the sword as well — then he pierced Dhrishtadyumna with nine sharp, death-bearing arrows, enraged, at the furious one, the scorcher of foes. The horses of Dhrishtadyumna's chariot, with his own chariot horses, the great warrior, immeasurable in spirit, mingled together, raising the weapon of Brahma.
8533d728fd57 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Drona cuts through bow after bow of Dhrishtadyumna, then his mace, his sword — doomed, he is still unsurpassed in skill. It is telling that even on the threshold of death the teacher surpasses the one destined to slay him. The verse teaches that a foreordained outcome does not cancel actual superiority: Drona is greater than Dhrishtadyumna as a warrior, and yet will fall by his hand; for fate is accomplished not by the strength of the stronger but by appointment — and so even the greatest bows before destiny.