Shloka 25
ततो व्यरोचत द्रोणो विनिध्नन् सर्वसैनिकान्,तदनन्तर सम्पूर्ण सैनिकोंका विनाश करते हुए द्रोणाचार्यकी बड़ी शोभा होने लगी। उन्होंने उस महासमरमें पांचालवीरोंके मस्तक और सुवर्णभूषित परिघ-जैसी मोटी भुजाएँ काट गिरायीं
tato vyarocata droṇo vinighnan sarvasainikān | tadanantaraṃ sampūrṇa-sainikānāṃ vināśaṃ kurvan droṇācāryaḥ mahān śobhām avāpa | sa tasmin mahāsamare pāñcālavīrāṇāṃ mastakāni suvarṇabhūṣita-parigha-sadṛśāḥ sthūlā bhujāś ca chittvā nipātayām āsa ||
Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa shone forth, striking down the warriors of the host. Thereafter, as he wrought the destruction of the assembled troops, Droṇācārya’s splendor grew great. In that vast battle he cut down the heads of the Pāñcāla heroes, and he hewed off their thick arms—adorned with gold and like iron clubs—casting them to the ground.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: extraordinary skill and ‘splendor’ can accompany acts of mass destruction. It invites reflection on how dharma in battle (kṣatriya-duty) can still produce tragic outcomes, and how narrative praise of prowess does not erase the ethical weight of violence.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa becomes increasingly resplendent as he cuts down many soldiers. In the great battle he severs the heads and gold-adorned, club-like thick arms of Pāñcāla heroes, causing them to fall—depicting Droṇa’s devastating momentum on the battlefield.