Mahabharata 7.21.40 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 40
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
वीरास्थिशर्करां रौद्रां भेरीमुरजकच्छपाम् । चर्मवर्मप्लवां घोरां केशशैवलशाद्धलाम्
vīrāsthiśarkarāṁ raudrāṁ bherīmurajakacchapām | carmavarmaplavāṁ ghorāṁ keśaśaivalśādvalām ||
সেই ভয়ংকৰ সোঁতত বীৰসকলৰ অস্থি বালি আৰু কংকৰৰ দৰে দেখা গৈছিল; ভেৰী আৰু মুৰজ ঢোল কচ্ছপৰ দৰে লাগিছিল; ঢাল আৰু বর্ম নাওঁৰ দৰে ভাঁহি আছিল। চুলেই তাত শৈৱাল আৰু ঘাঁহ হৈ পৰিছিল। এই ছবি বিজয়ৰ নহয়—যুদ্ধৰ নৈতিক বিভীষিকাৰ; কৌশল যেতিয়া হিংসাত মুক্ত হয়, তেতিয়া ৰণধাৰাই সাহসী আৰু ভীত—দুয়োকেই সমানভাৱে বোৱাই লৈ যায়।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war: even when fought under kṣatriya duty, battle produces a dehumanizing devastation. The poetic ‘river’ imagery functions as moral commentary—martial prowess can become a force that sweeps away life indiscriminately, warning the listener not to romanticize violence.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s onslaught in the Kurukṣetra war through an extended metaphor: the battlefield becomes a terrifying river where bones are gravel, drums are tortoises, and shields/armor are boats, conveying the scale and dreadfulness of the slaughter.
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