Shloka 8
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
उनके घूमते हुए रथरूपी मेघमण्डलमें सुवर्णभूषित धनुष विद्युतके समान बारंबार प्रकाशित दिखायी देता था ।। स वीर: सत्यवान् प्राज्ञो धर्मनित्य: सदा पुन: । युगान्तकालवद्ू घोरां रौद्रां प्रावर्तयन्नदीम्,उन सत्यपरायण परम बुद्धिमान् तथा नित्य धर्ममें तत्पर रहनेवाले वीर द्रोणाचार्यने उस रणक्षेत्रमें प्रलय-कालके समान अत्यन्त भयंकर रक्तकी नदी प्रवाहित कर दी
sa vīraḥ satyavān prājño dharmanityaḥ sadā punaḥ | yugāntakālavadd ghorāṃ raudrāṃ prāvartayannadīm ||
Sanjaya said: That heroic Droṇācārya—truthful, discerning, and ever steadfast in dharma—set in motion upon the battlefield a dreadful, furious river, like the flood of destruction at the end of an age, as blood flowed in the wake of his onslaught. The image underscores how even a dharma-minded warrior, when bound to his martial duty and allegiance, can become an instrument of catastrophic violence in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes Droṇa’s personal virtues—truthfulness, wisdom, and steadiness in dharma—with the terrifying outcomes of battlefield duty. It highlights a central Mahābhārata tension: adherence to one’s role and allegiance can still generate immense harm, urging reflection on responsibility, the limits of duty, and the moral cost of war.
Sanjaya describes Droṇācārya’s devastating combat. Through the metaphor of a dreadful, wrathful river—likened to end-of-age destruction—he conveys that Droṇa’s assault causes bloodshed on a massive scale, transforming the battlefield into a scene of near-apocalyptic carnage.