Shloka 526
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
पुन: पुनरभज्यन्त सिंहेनेवेतरे मृगा: । जैसे सिंह दूसरे मृगोंको भगा देता है, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्यके बाणोंसे विकम्पित हुए पाण्डव तथा सूंजय बारंबार युद्धका मैदान छोड़कर भागने लगे
punaḥ punar abhajyanta siṁhen evetare mṛgāḥ |
संजय बोले—वे बार-बार तितर-बितर हो जाते थे, जैसे सिंह के सामने अन्य मृग। द्रोणाचार्य के बाणों से विकम्पित पाण्डव और उनके सहयोगी बारंबार रणभूमि छोड़कर भागने लगे।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological truth that in war, sheer prowess and strategic pressure can shatter collective morale; when fear dominates, even duty-bound warriors may abandon their post, underscoring the need for steadiness (dhairya) and disciplined leadership.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa’s assault is so formidable that the opposing fighters—likened to deer before a lion—are repeatedly scattered; the Pāṇḍavas and their supporting forces, trembling under the rain of arrows, withdraw from the battlefield again and again.