Shloka 37
Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
तस्मिन् महाग्निप्रतिमो महात्मा संतापयन् पाण्डवान् विप्रमुख्य:
tasmin mahāgnipratimo mahātmā santāpayān pāṇḍavān vipramukhyaḥ
Sañjaya sprach: In jenem Zusammenstoß sengte der großherzige Krieger—gleich einem lodernden Großfeuer—die Pāṇḍavas und zwang sie, sich abzuwenden und in Unordnung zurückzuweichen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: extraordinary prowess can overwhelm and cause intense suffering, reminding the listener that victory often comes through fear and pain rather than moral clarity, even within the framework of kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the battle where a formidable, ‘fire-like’ great warrior presses the Pāṇḍavas so hard that they are afflicted and driven to turn away from the front, indicating a temporary setback or forced withdrawal.