आशीविषाभैर् विंशद्भिः पञ्चभिश् चापि ताञ् शरैः ॥
चिच्छेद युगपद् द्रौणिः पञ्चविंशतिसायकान् ॥
सप्तभिश् च शितैर् बाणैः पौरवं द्रौणिर् आर्दयत् ॥
मालवं त्रिभिर् एकेन पार्थं षड्भिर् वृकोदरम् ॥
ततस् ते विव्यधुः सर्वे द्रौणिं राजन् महारथाः ॥
युगपच् च पृथक् चैव रुक्मपुङ्खैः शिलाशितैः ॥
āśīviṣābhair viṃśadbhiḥ pañcabhiś cāpi tāñ śaraiḥ ||
ciccheda yugapad drauṇiḥ pañcaviṃśatisāyakān ||
saptabhiś ca śitair bāṇaiḥ pauravaṃ drauṇir ārdayat ||
mālavaṃ tribhir ekena pārthaṃ ṣaḍbhir vṛkodaram ||
tatas te vivyadhuḥ sarve drauṇiṃ rājan mahārathāḥ ||
yugapac ca pṛthak caiva rukmapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ||
With twenty serpent-like arrows and five more, Drauni cut down at once those twenty-five arrows. And with seven sharp arrows Drauni struck the Paurava, the Malava with three, Partha [Arjuna] with one, Vrikodara [Bhima] with six. Then they all pierced Drauni, O king, the great chariot-warriors, at once and separately, with golden-feathered arrows honed on stone.
2cab9963d92b · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Ashvatthaman cuts down all twenty-five arrows of the five at once and immediately strikes each of them in turn: his mastery is at its peak. It is telling how complete his command of weapons is -- he answers all at once and each separately. The verse teaches that skill honed over years shows itself in composure amid many threats; but even the highest training, placed at the service of vengeance, becomes only an instrument for multiplying deaths.