Shloka 41
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
स च्छाद्यमान: समरे द्रौणिना राजसत्तम
sa cchādyamānaḥ samare drauṇinā rājasattama
Sañjaya dit : Au plus fort de la bataille, ce noble roi —le premier parmi les souverains— était accablé et comme recouvert par le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā), tandis que la lutte s’acheminait vers un tournant décisif, lourd d’enjeu moral.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how swiftly fortune shifts in war: even a ‘best of kings’ can be overwhelmed. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that power and status do not shield one from the consequences of violent conflict, and that kṣatriya valor is tested under relentless pressure.
Sañjaya reports that, during the battle, a king (addressed as ‘rājasattama’) is being pressed hard—‘covered over’ by attacks—by Drauṇi, i.e., Aśvatthāman, the son of Droṇa. The line functions as a vivid battlefield snapshot emphasizing Aśvatthāman’s aggressive dominance at that moment.