Shloka 59
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
त॑ द्रोण: सथनुष्कं तु साश्वयन्तारमाक्षिणोत् | स हत: प्रापतद् भूमौ रथाज्ज्योतिरिवाम्बरात्,परंतु द्रोणने धुनष, घोड़े और सारथिसहित उसे क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया। उनके द्वारा मारा गया वह राजकुमार आकाशसे उल्काकी भाँति रथसे भूमिपर गिर पड़ा
taṁ droṇaḥ sadhanuskaṁ tu sāśvayantāram ākṣiṇot | sa hataḥ prāpatad bhūmau rathāj jyotir ivāmbarāt |
Sanjaya said: Drona struck down that prince together with his bow, his horses, and his charioteer, mangling him in battle. Slain by Drona, he fell from his chariot to the earth like a meteor dropping from the sky—an image of martial pride collapsing swiftly and beyond recall amid war’s ruthless code.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and status can collapse in an instant. The meteor simile frames death as sudden and irreversible, reminding readers that martial glory is transient and that war’s ethics permit decisive, total destruction of an opponent’s fighting capacity (warrior, weapons, horses, and driver).
Sanjaya reports that Drona attacks a prince on a chariot and cuts him down along with his bow, horses, and charioteer. The slain warrior then falls from the chariot to the ground like a meteor falling from the sky.