Shloka 24
भ्रात्रा प्रस्थापितो वीर: स्वेनानीकेन दंशित: । प्रययौ पुरुषव्याप्र: स्वसैन्यं स विषादयन्
bhrātrā prasthāpito vīraḥ svenānīkena daṃśitaḥ | prayayau puruṣavyāghraḥ svasainyaṃ sa viṣādayan ||
Sañjaya dit : Poussé et dépêché par son frère, ce héros—resserré et pressé par son propre dispositif—s’élança en avant avec une grande force. Tel un tigre parmi les hommes, il se rua vers la division de Droṇa, et ce faisant il jeta l’armée kaurava dans l’abattement, car la chute de leur champion sur le champ avait ébranlé leur résolution.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a warrior’s actions and the perception of victory or loss directly affect collective morale. In dharmic warfare, leadership is not only physical prowess but also sustaining the army’s steadiness (dhṛti) amid fear and grief.
Sañjaya describes Duḥśāsana being sent forward by his brother and, though constrained and pressured within his own formation, surging ahead toward Droṇa’s contingent. His movement occurs amid a crisis of confidence in the Kaurava ranks, shaken by the fall of a key champion on the battlefield.