Shloka 90
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
कि पुनः पृथिवीशूरैयोंधव्रातैः समावृत: । इत्यब्रुवन् महाराज रणे द्रोणेन पीडिता:
ki punaḥ pṛthivīśūraiḥ yodhavrātaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ | ity abruvan mahārāja raṇe droṇena pīḍitāḥ ||
قال سانجيا: «وماذا يُقال بعد ذلك، أيها الملك العظيم، وهو محاطٌ بكتائب من أبطال الأرض المشهورين؟» هكذا تكلّم الباندافا، وقد أنهكهم هجومُ درونا في ساحة القتال، بوجلٍ وخوف—مُقرّين بأن درونا وحده بدا كأنه قادرٌ على تدمير الجموع كلها، وأنه إذا أحاط به أولئك المقاتلون الأعلام ازداد نصرُه ظهورًا وثبوتًا.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how fear and the spectacle of superior force can overwhelm discernment in war: when a commander’s prowess appears irresistible and he is backed by famed warriors, opponents may assume defeat is inevitable. Ethically, it cautions that morale and clear judgment are crucial in kṣatriya duty, and that perception in battle can be as decisive as numbers.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas, harried by Droṇa on the battlefield, speak anxiously. They remark that Droṇa alone seems capable of destroying entire armies; therefore, with celebrated warrior-companies surrounding him, his success seems even more certain.