Shloka 2
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
तैश्वोद्धूतं रजस्तीव्रमवर्चक्रे चमूं तव । ततो हतममंसस््याम द्रोणं दृष्टिपथे हते,उन सैनिकोंद्वारा उड़ायी हुई तीव्र धूलने आपकी सारी सेनाको ढक दिया। फिर तो हमारी दृष्टिका मार्ग अवरुद्ध हो गया और हमने समझ लिया कि द्रोण मारे गये
taiś coddhūtaṃ rajas tīvram āvavṛkṣe camūṃ tava | tato hatam amaṃsyāma droṇaṃ dṛṣṭi-pathe hate ||
Sañjaya said: “The fierce dust raised by those warriors spread over and covered your entire army. Then our line of sight was cut off, and we concluded that Droṇa had been slain.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, perception is easily distorted: limited visibility and panic can turn uncertainty into belief. Ethically, it warns against acting on assumptions and shows how quickly morale and judgment can collapse when a revered leader is thought to have fallen.
During the battle, intense dust raised by the fighters blankets the Kaurava forces and blocks vision. With the battlefield obscured, the warriors infer—without clear confirmation—that Droṇa has been killed.