Shloka 24

द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping

Devanagari script

ततो युधिष्टिरं प्रेप्सुराचार्य: शत्रुपूगहा । व्यधमत्‌ तान्यनीकानि तूलराशिमिवानल:,तब शत्रुसमूहोंका नाश करनेवाले द्रोणाचार्यने युधिष्ठिरको पकड़नेके लिये उन समस्त सैनिकोंका उसी प्रकार संहार कर डाला, जैसे आग रूईके ढेरको जला देती है

Transliteration

tato yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prepsur ācāryaḥ śatrupūgahā | vyadhamat tāny anīkāni tūlarāśim ivānalaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa, the preceptor—destroyer of masses of foes—seeking to seize Yudhiṣṭhira, struck down those battle-formations, just as fire consumes a heap of cotton.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

युधिष्ठिरम्Yudhiṣṭhira (as object)

प्रेप्सुःwishing to obtain/capture

आचार्यःthe teacher (Droṇa)

शत्रुपूगहाdestroyer of masses of enemies

व्यधमत्he blew/struck down; he routed (lit. blew)

तानिthose

अनीकानिarmies, divisions (troops)

तूलराशिम्a heap of cotton

इवlike, as

अनलःfire

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Yudhiṣṭhira

anīkāni (battle-formations/army divisions)

anala (fire)

tūlarāśi (heap of cotton)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral strain of warfare: when a commander fixates on a strategic goal (capturing Yudhiṣṭhira), the means can become massively destructive. The cotton-and-fire simile emphasizes how quickly and indiscriminately violence can spread once unleashed, prompting reflection on proportionality and responsibility even amid duty-bound combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa advances with the intent to seize Yudhiṣṭhira. To reach him, he breaks through and annihilates the intervening troop-formations, overwhelming them with the speed and totality likened to fire burning a pile of cotton.