Shloka 9
द्रोणानीकाभिमुखगमनम्
Abhimanyu advances toward Droṇa’s host
पीड्यमाना: शरै राजन् द्रोणचापविनि:सृतै: । न शेकुः प्रमुखे स्थातुं भारद्वाजस्य पाण्डवा:,राजन! द्रोणाचार्यके धनुषसे छूटे हुए बाणोंसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित होकर पाण्डववीर उनके सामने नहीं ठहर सके
pīḍyamānāḥ śarai rājann droṇacāpa-viniḥsṛtaiḥ | na śekuḥ pramukhe sthātuṃ bhāradvājasya pāṇḍavāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, tormented by the arrows loosed from Droṇa’s bow, the Pāṇḍava warriors could not hold their ground before Bhāradvāja’s son.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overpowering force of skilled action in war and the fragility of even heroic endurance when confronted with superior technique. Ethically, it points to the harsh reality that battlefield dharma tests resolve through pain and fear, not merely ideals.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava fighters, struck and distressed by volleys from Droṇa’s bow, cannot remain standing in direct confrontation with Droṇa (identified by his lineage as Bhāradvāja’s son).