Shloka 43
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
प्रतिलभ्य ततः संज्ञां मुहूर्ताद् द्विजसत्तम: । क्रोधेन महता5<विष्टो वायव्यास्त्रमवासृजत्,तत्पश्चात् सचेत होनेपर द्विजश्रेष्ठ द्रोणने महान् क्रोधमें भरकर वायव्यास्त्रका प्रयोग किया
pratilabhya tataḥ saṃjñāṃ muhūrtād dvijasattamaḥ | krodhena mahatāviṣṭo vāyavyāstram avāsṛjat ||
Sañjaya said: After a brief while, the best of Brahmins regained consciousness. Then, seized by intense anger, Droṇa unleashed the Vāyavya weapon—an invocation of the wind’s force—escalating the battle through wrath rather than restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how regaining composure does not necessarily restore moral restraint: when the mind is overtaken by krodha (anger), even a learned and revered figure may choose escalation through destructive means. It implicitly warns that mastery of power (astras) without mastery of emotion can undermine dharma in war.
After being rendered unconscious and then recovering, Droṇa becomes intensely enraged and responds by releasing the Vāyavyāstra, a formidable wind-based weapon, intensifying the conflict on the battlefield.