Shloka 25
द्रवमाणे तथा सैन्ये त्रस्तरूपे हतौजसि । प्रतिस्रोत इव ग्राहो द्रोणपुत्र: परानियात्,इस प्रकार जब सारी सेना भयभीत हो बल और उत्साह खोकर भाग रही थी, उसी समय द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा शत्रुओंकी ओर बढ़ा आ रहा था, मानो कोई ग्राह नदीके प्रवाहके प्रतिकूल जा रहा हो
dravamāṇe tathā sainye trastarūpe hataujasi | pratisrota iva grāho droṇaputraḥ parāniyāt ||
Sañjaya said: As the army fled in panic—its appearance terrified, its strength and spirit broken—Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) advanced toward the enemy, like a crocodile forcing its way upstream against the current. The image underscores a lone, relentless counter-movement amid collective collapse, highlighting the fierce resolve that can arise in war even when the wider host loses courage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts mass panic with singular determination: when collective morale collapses, an individual driven by fierce resolve can still press forward. Ethically, it invites reflection on how courage in war may be admirable as steadfastness, yet also dangerous when it fuels further violence despite the wider human cost.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where the troops are fleeing in fear and losing their strength, while Aśvatthāmā, Droṇa’s son, moves toward the opposing side. He is compared to a crocodile swimming upstream, emphasizing his forceful advance against the prevailing flow of retreat.