Shloka 90
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
कि पुनः पृथिवीशूरैयोंधव्रातैः समावृत: । इत्यब्रुवन् महाराज रणे द्रोणेन पीडिता:,द्रोणाचार्यका पराक्रम देखकर तो पाण्डवोंके मनमें भय समा गया। महाराज! वे युद्धस्थलमें द्रोणाचार्यसे पीड़ित होकर कहने लगे कि “रणभूमिमें अकेले द्रोणाचार्य ही समस्त सैनिकोंको मार डालनेकी शक्ति रखते हैं। फिर जब ये भूमण्डलके सुविख्यात शूरवीर योद्धाओंके समुदायोंसे घिरे हुए हैं, तब तो इनकी विजयके लिये कहना ही क्या है?”
ki punaḥ pṛthivīśūraiḥ yodhavrātaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ | ity abruvan mahārāja raṇe droṇena pīḍitāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “And what more need be said, O great king, when he is surrounded by companies of the earth’s renowned heroic warriors?” Thus, afflicted on the battlefield by Droṇa’s onslaught, the Pāṇḍavas spoke in fear—seeing Droṇa alone as able to destroy entire hosts, and his victory all the more assured with such famed fighters around him.
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.