Shloka 40
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
तानि नागसहस्राणि रथानामयुतानि च,उस प्रदोषकालमें अकेले द्रोणाचार्यने अपने नाराचोंद्वारा एक हजार हाथी, दस हजार रथ तथा लाखों-करोड़ों पैदल एवं घुड़सवार नष्ट कर दिये
tāni nāgasahasrāṇi rathānām ayutāni ca | tasmin pradoṣakāle kevalena droṇācāryeṇa svanārācair ekaṃ sahasraṃ hastinaḥ daśa sahasrāṇi rathāḥ lakṣakoṭyaḥ padātayaś ca aśvārūḍhāś ca vināśitāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Pada waktu senja itu, Droṇa seorang diri, dengan anak panah nārāca yang tajam, membinasakan seribu gajah, sepuluh ribu kereta perang, serta tak terhitung prajurit pejalan kaki dan penunggang kuda. Kisah ini menegaskan betapa mengerikannya daya guna kepiawaian perang—dan betapa besar harga manusia yang harus dibayar ketika dharma telah tertutup oleh dendam dan permusuhan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the catastrophic scale of war: extraordinary personal prowess can magnify destruction, reminding the listener that when conflict is pursued beyond restraint, the ethical cost (loss of life and balance of dharma) becomes immeasurable.
Sañjaya reports that at dusk Drona, fighting single-handedly, uses his nārāca arrows to annihilate vast numbers of the opposing forces—elephants, chariots, infantry, and cavalry—emphasizing the intensity of the battle in the Droṇa Parva.