Mahabharata 7.21.44 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 44
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
क्रूरां शरीरसंघट्टां सादिनक्रां दुरत्ययाम् । द्रोण: प्रावर्तयत् तत्र नदीमन्तकगामिनीम्
sañjaya uvāca |
krūrāṃ śarīrasaṃghaṭṭāṃ sādinakrāṃ duratyayām |
droṇaḥ prāvartayat tatra nadīm antakagāminīm ||
संजय बोले—वहाँ द्रोणाचार्य ने युद्धभूमि में रक्त की एक क्रूर नदी प्रवाहित कर दी—जो कुचले हुए शरीरों से भरी, मगरमच्छों और अन्य हिंसक जन्तुओं से युक्त, और पार करना अत्यन्त कठिन थी; वह नदी मानो मनुष्यों को सीधे अन्तक (मृत्यु) की ओर बहा ले जाती थी।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a stark metaphor—war as a death-bound river—to underline the ethical gravity of violence: once battle intensifies, it becomes an impersonal force that sweeps away lives on all sides, challenging any easy glorification of warfare.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s onslaught in the Droṇa Parva: Droṇa’s tactics and ferocity make the battlefield resemble a terrifying river filled with bodies and predators, nearly impossible for warriors to ‘cross’—i.e., to survive or overcome.
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