Shloka 6
अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्
Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement
द्रोण: पाउ्चालपुत्रेण बली बलवता सह । यदक्षिपत् पृषत्कौघांस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,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
sañjaya uvāca |
droṇaḥ pāñcālaputreṇa balī balavatā saha |
yad akṣipat pṛṣatkaughāṁs tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya said: When the dreadful slaughter had begun and the warriors, as if fearless, pressed into close combat, mighty Droṇa—locked in battle with the powerful son of the Pāñcālas, Dhṛṣṭadyumna—unleashed such a dense torrent of arrows that it appeared almost wondrous. The scene underscores the terrible momentum of war: extraordinary martial skill manifests amid a morally fraught carnage that consumes both sides.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of war: astonishing prowess can appear ‘wondrous’ even while it fuels mass destruction. It invites reflection on how skill and valor, ethically admirable in isolation, become morally burdened when deployed within a catastrophic conflict.
As the battle turns into fierce close fighting and widespread slaughter, Droṇa engages Dhṛṣṭadyumna and releases an overwhelming volley of arrows. Sañjaya reports that the sheer intensity of Droṇa’s arrow-rain looked extraordinary.