Shloka 97
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
तदभूद् ध्वजसम्बाधमकापुरुषसेवितम् । द्रोणानीकं महाराज पटे चित्रमिवार्पितम्,महाराज! उस समय वीर पुरुषोंसे भरी हुई द्रोणाचार्यकी वह ध्वजविशिष्ट सेना पटमें अंकित किये हुए चित्रके समान प्रतीत होती थी
tad abhūd dhvaja-sambādham akā-puruṣa-sevitam | droṇānīkaṃ mahārāja paṭe citram ivārpitam ||
Sañjaya said: O King, at that time Droṇa’s battle-array, densely packed with banners and thronged by valiant warriors, appeared like a painted picture fixed upon a cloth—so compact and orderly did it seem amid the press of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how disciplined organization and concentrated force can create an impression of stillness and clarity even amid chaos; ethically, it underscores the power of leadership and order in war, while implicitly reminding that such impressive martial beauty serves a destructive end.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa’s forces, packed with banners and heroic fighters, looked so dense and composed that they resembled a painted image on cloth—an evocative simile describing the battlefield formation under Droṇa.