Shloka 51
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
द्रोणस्य रथनिर्घोषं पर्जन्यनिनदोपमम् । श्रुत्वा प्रभद्रका राजन् समकम्पन्त मारिष,राजन! द्रोणाचार्यके रथकी घरघराहट मेघकी गर्जनाके समान जान पड़ती थी। आर्य! उसे सुनकर प्रभद्रक वीर काँप उठे
droṇasya rathanirghoṣaṃ parjanyaninadopamam | śrutvā prabhadrakā rājan samakampanta māriṣa ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, gemuruh kereta Droṇa—laksana gelegar awan pembawa hujan—terdengar; dan mendengarnya, para kesatria Prabhadraka pun gemetar, wahai yang mulia.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and reputation manifest psychologically in war: the mere sound of a formidable warrior’s advance can unsettle opponents, reminding readers that courage and steadiness of mind are crucial ethical qualities amid conflict.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the rumbling noise of Droṇa’s chariot, likened to thunderclouds, was so fearsome that the Prabhadraka fighters trembled upon hearing it.