Shloka 27
Chapter 30: Formation Disruption, Competing War-Cries, and Nīla’s Fall
Droṇa-parva
तदा हतासु मायासु त्रस्तो$र्जुनशराहत:
tadā hatāsu māyāsu trasto’rjunaśarāhataḥ
Sañjaya said: When those deceptive stratagems had been destroyed, he—struck by Arjuna’s arrows—became frightened. The verse underscores how, in the heat of war, reliance on illusion and trickery collapses before steadfast skill and righteous resolve, leaving the aggressor shaken when confronted by direct, effective force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Deceptive tactics (māyā) are unstable supports in a moral and martial crisis; when they fail, fear arises. The verse implicitly contrasts reliance on illusion with the decisive power of disciplined skill and steadfast resolve, suggesting that unethical or merely crafty means do not guarantee security.
Sañjaya reports that certain “māyās” (deceptive devices/stratagems) have been neutralized, and the opposing warrior—now wounded by Arjuna’s arrows—becomes alarmed. It marks a turning point where Arjuna’s effective counteraction breaks the enemy’s attempted ruse and induces fear.