Shloka 3
रथचिह्नवर्णनम् / Description of Chariot Standards and Allied Advances
स हि वीरोन्नत: शूरो यो भग्नेषु निवर्तते । अहो नासीत् पुमान् कश्रिद् दृष्टवा द्रोणं व्यवस्थितम्,वही वीरोंमें उन्नतिशील और शौर्यसम्पन्न है, जो सैनिकोंके भाग जानेपर स्वयं युद्धक्षेत्रमें लौटकर आ जाय। अहो! क्या उस समय द्रोणाचार्यको डटा हुआ देखकर पाण्डवोंमें कोई भी वीर पुरुष नहीं था (जो द्रोणाचार्यका सामना कर सके)
sa hi vīronnataḥ śūro yo bhagneṣu nivartate | aho nāsīt pumān kaścid dṛṣṭvā droṇaṃ vyavasthitam |
Sañjaya said: Truly, he alone is a hero—noble among warriors and rich in valor—who, when others have broken and fled, turns back and returns to the battlefield. Alas! When Droṇa stood firmly arrayed, was there then no manly warrior at all among the Pāṇḍavas who could face him?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises steadfast courage as a mark of true heroism: when others lose heart and retreat, the ethically ideal warrior (in the kṣatriya framework) is the one who returns to the field and stands firm in duty rather than yielding to fear or collective panic.
Sanjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, comments on the intimidating presence of Droṇa standing resolutely in formation. He laments—rhetorically—that the Pāṇḍava side seemed to lack a warrior willing or able at that moment to confront Droṇa directly, highlighting Droṇa’s dominance and the wavering of opposing troops.