Shloka 6
Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ
Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors
घोषेण महता राजन् पूरयन्तीव मेदिनीम् | ज्वलन्ती तेजसा भीमा त्रासयामास ते सुतान्,राजन! तेजसे प्रज्वलित होनेवाली उस भयंकर गदाने अपने महान् घोषसे इस पृथ्वीको परिपूर्ण करके आपके पुत्रोंको भयभीत कर दिया
ghoṣeṇa mahatā rājan pūrayantīva medinīm | jvalantī tejasā bhīmā trāsayāmāsa te sutān rājan |
قال سنجيا: أيها الملك، إن تلك المِقْمَعَة الرهيبة، المتوهِّجة بضيائها، كأنها تملأ الأرض كلَّها بدويٍّ عظيم، فألقت الرعب في قلوب أبنائك.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychological dimension of warfare: terror and overwhelming display of power can shake even seasoned warriors. Ethically, it implies that fear induced by force is not the same as dharma; it is an instrument of battle, fleeting and contingent, whereas righteousness is judged by intent, duty, and restraint.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how a fearsome, radiant mace roars so loudly that it seems to fill the earth, and this spectacle frightens Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Kauravas) on the battlefield.