Shloka 74
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
अथ द्रोणं महाराज विचरन्तमभीतवत् | वज्हस्तममन्यन्त शत्रव: शत्रुसूदनम्,महाराज! रणभूमिमें निर्भय-से विचरते हुए शत्रुसूदन द्रोणको शत्रुओंने वज्रधारी इन्द्र समझा
atha droṇaṃ mahārāja vicarantam abhītavat | vajrahastam amanyanta śatravaḥ śatrusūdanam ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, as Droṇa moved about the battlefield fearlessly, the enemy warriors took that foe-slayer to be Indra himself, the wielder of the thunderbolt.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary courage and effectiveness in battle can inspire awe and even misrecognition—ethical reflection arises in seeing how power and fear shape perception, and how a warrior’s conduct (fearless movement, decisive action) creates a near-divine reputation.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa is moving about the battlefield without fear, and the opposing warriors, overwhelmed by his prowess, imagine him to be Indra, the thunderbolt-wielder.