Shloka 4
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
योधयिष्यामि सैन्यानि नाशयन् सर्वसोमकान् । नच मां पाण्डवा युद्धे योधयिष्यन्ति हर्षिता:,मैं समस्त सोमकोंका संहार करते हुए पाण्डव-सेनाओंके साथ युद्ध करूँगा; परंतु पाण्डवलोग युद्धमें प्रसन्नतापूर्वक मेरा सामना नहीं करेंगे
sañjaya uvāca | yodhayīṣyāmi sainyāni nāśayan sarvasomakān | na ca māṃ pāṇḍavā yuddhe yodhayiṣyanti harṣitāḥ ||
Sanjaya said: “I shall engage the armies in battle, utterly destroying all the Somakas. Yet the Pāṇḍavas will not confront me in war with gladness.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology of war: a warrior’s vow to annihilate an opposing group and the expectation that such ferocity will sap the enemy’s morale. Ethically, it underscores how vows of total destruction intensify adharma-like excess in warfare, shifting focus from duty-bound combat to annihilative intent.
Sañjaya reports a combatant’s declaration of intent: he will engage the armies and destroy the Somakas, and he believes the Pāṇḍavas will not face him with confidence or joy in battle. It functions as a statement of threat and battlefield resolve within the Drona Parva war sequence.