Shloka 32
द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय ११२) — कर्णभीमयोर्युद्धम्, दुर्योधनस्य रक्षणादेशः
Droṇa-parva 112: Karṇa–Bhīma Engagement and Duryodhana’s Protective Order
पज्चालान् सृञ्जयान् मत्स्यान् केकयांश्व नराधिप । द्रोणोड5जयन्महाबाहु: शतशोडथ सहसत्रश:,नरेश्वर! महाबाहु द्रोणाचार्यने पांचाल, सृंजय, मत्स्य और केकयोंके सैकड़ों तथा सहस्रों वीरोंको परास्त किया
pañcālān sṛñjayān matsyān kekayāṁś ca narādhipa | droṇo 'jayat mahābāhuḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O king of men, the mighty-armed Droṇa overcame the Pāñcālas, the Sṛñjayas, the Matsyas, and the Kekayas—defeating them in hundreds and in thousands. The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: prowess and strategy can crush vast numbers, raising the ethical tension between martial duty and the human cost of victory.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming force of a single great warrior in war, intensifying the ethical dilemma of kṣatriya-duty: victory may be ‘right’ within martial codes, yet it carries a vast human toll that the epic repeatedly invites the listener to contemplate.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa, leading the Kaurava side, is routing major allied groups of the Pāṇḍavas—Pāñcālas, Sṛñjayas, Matsyas, and Kekayas—defeating their fighters in enormous numbers.