Shloka 26
तांस्तु सर्वान् महेष्वासान् द्रोण: शस्त्रभृतां वर: । अतापयच्छरब्रातैर्गभस्तिभिरिवांशुमान्,शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणाचार्य उन समस्त महाधनुर्धरोंको अपने बाणसमूहोंद्वारा उसी प्रकार संतप्त करने लगे, जैसे अंशुमाली सूर्य अपनी किरणोंसे जगत्को संताप देते हैं
tāṁs tu sarvān maheṣvāsān droṇaḥ śastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ | atāpayac charabrātair gabhastibhir ivāṁśumān ||
Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa, the foremost among weapon-bearers, began to scorch all those mighty bowmen with volleys of arrows—just as the radiant sun torments the world with its blazing rays. The verse underscores the impersonal, overwhelming force of martial prowess in war, where skill and duty-driven combat can become as inescapable as natural heat, pressing warriors into the harsh consequences of the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the dharma-bound arena of war, a master warrior’s force can become overwhelming and impersonal—likened to the sun’s heat—suggesting that once conflict escalates, its suffering spreads broadly and relentlessly, regardless of individual intentions.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa launching dense volleys of arrows against all the great archers opposing him, afflicting them intensely; the comparison to the sun’s rays conveys the scale and inescapability of Droṇa’s assault.