Shloka 296
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
आच्छादयदसम्भ्रान्तस्ततो द्रोण उवाच ह । इसी प्रकार सात्यकिने भी बिना किसी घबराहटके बहुत-से शीघ्रगामी बाणोंकी वर्षा करके द्रोणाचार्यको ढक दिया। तब द्रोणाचार्य बोले--
ācchādayad asambhrāntas tato droṇa uvāca ha | (iti prakāraḥ sātyakine'pi vinā ghābarāhaṭena bahu-śīghragāmī-bāṇa-varṣāṃ kṛtvā droṇācāryaṃ ācchādayām āsa | tataḥ droṇācārya uvāca—)
Sañjaya dit : Sans trouble et l’esprit ferme, il couvrit Droṇa d’une pluie serrée de flèches rapides. De même, Sātyaki—sans la moindre panique—fit pleuvoir quantité de traits fulgurants et enveloppa Droṇācārya. Alors Droṇa prit la parole—
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds steadiness under pressure: fearlessness and lack of agitation (asambhrānta) are presented as a disciplined mental state. Ethically, it shows how inner control—often praised as a virtue—can be directed toward destructive ends in war, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s complex portrayal of dharma in conflict.
Sañjaya narrates that Sātyaki, remaining calm, overwhelms Droṇa with a rapid shower of arrows, effectively ‘covering’ him. The line then serves as a transition: after being thus assailed, Droṇa begins to speak, setting up his response in the following verses.