Shloka 493
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
संनिवार्य ततः सर्वान् कुरूनप्यवधीद् बली । बलवान ट्रुपदपुत्रने अपने बाणोंकी वर्षसे द्रोणाचार्यकी बाणवृष्टिको रोककर समस्त कौरव सैनिकोंको मारना आरम्भ किया
saṃnivārya tataḥ sarvān kurūn apy avadhīd balī | balavān drupadaputro 'sya bāṇavarṣeṇa droṇācāryasya bāṇavṛṣṭiṃ rurodha, samastān kauravasainikān hantum ārabdhavān |
Sañjaya dit : Alors le vaillant guerrier les contint tous et se mit à abattre même les Kurus. Le puissant fils de Drupada, par une pluie de ses propres flèches, endigua l’averse de traits de Droṇācārya et entreprit de détruire toute l’armée kaurava.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial excellence and the duty of a warrior (kṣatriya-dharma) can intensify conflict: the ability to counter an opponent’s force becomes a means to expand destruction. It invites reflection on the ethical burden of victory when skill is used not merely for defense but for large-scale slaughter.
Sañjaya describes Drupada’s son (Dṛṣṭadyumna) countering Droṇa’s arrow-rain with his own missile-shower, successfully checking Droṇa’s attack. Having gained the upper hand, he begins killing the Kaurava soldiers broadly across the battlefield.