Shloka 5
संक्षये तु तथाभूते वर्तमाने महाभये । उन्डी भूतेषु सैन्येषु युध्यमानेष्वभीतवत्,इस प्रकार जब महाभयंकर जनसंहार होने लगा और सारे सैनिक निर्भय-से होकर बन्द्-युद्ध करने लगे, उस समय बलवान द्रोणाचार्यने शक्तिशाली पांचालराजकुमार धृष्टद्युम्मके साथ युद्ध करते हुए जो बाणसमूहोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ की, वह अद्भुत-सी प्रतीत होने लगी
saṃkṣaye tu tathābhūte vartamāne mahābhaye | uṇḍī-bhūteṣu sainyeṣu yudhyamāneṣv abhītavat |
Sañjaya said: When that dreadful slaughter had thus set in, and a great terror prevailed, the armies—thrown into tumult—fought on as if fearless. At that time the mighty Droṇācārya, engaged in battle with the powerful Pāñcāla prince Dhṛṣṭadyumna, began an astonishing shower of arrows—an act that displayed both the terrible momentum of war and the relentless resolve of a master of arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: once mass slaughter begins, fear and confusion can paradoxically harden into a kind of numb fearlessness, while great warriors display extraordinary skill. Ethically, it highlights how martial excellence operates within a catastrophic context, inviting reflection on kṣatriya-duty versus the human cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports that amid a terrifying, chaotic slaughter, the armies fight on as if fearless. In that moment Droṇācārya, locked in combat with the Pāñcāla prince Dhṛṣṭadyumna, unleashes an astonishing barrage of arrows.