Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.21.46 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 46
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
त॑ दहन्तमनीकानि रथोदारं कृतान्तवत् । सर्वतो<भ्यद्रवन् द्रोणं कुन्तीपुत्रपुरोगमा:
taṁ dahantam anīkāni rathodāraṁ kṛtāntavat | sarvato 'bhyadravan droṇaṁ kuntīputrapurogamāḥ ||
संजय बोले—जब यमराज के समान भयानक, रथयुद्ध में उदार द्रोणाचार्य सेनाव्यूहों को दग्ध कर रहे थे, तब कुन्तीपुत्र—युधिष्ठिर के नेतृत्व में—सब ओर से उन पर टूट पड़े।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh dharma of battlefield life: when a warrior becomes a death-like force threatening the whole host, even revered teachers must be confronted. Duty to protect one’s side and uphold kṣatriya responsibility can override personal reverence, revealing the tragic moral tension of war.
Droṇa is depicted as devastating the opposing formations like Yama himself. In response, the Pāṇḍavas—led by Yudhiṣṭhira—charge him from all directions, attempting to check his overwhelming advance.
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