Shloka 526
Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
द्रोणाय व्यसृजद् राजन् स रथादवपुप्लुवे । राजन! ऐसा कहकर भीमसेनने गदा उठा ली, मानो यमराजने कालदण्ड हाथमें ले लिया हो। उन्होंने उस गदाको घुमाकर द्रोणाचार्यपर दे मारा, किंतु द्रोणाचार्य शीघ्र ही रथसे कूद पड़े
droṇāya vyasṛjad rājan sa rathād avapupluve |
Sañjaya said: “O King, he hurled it at Droṇa; and Droṇa swiftly leapt down from his chariot.” The moment captures the ruthless urgency of battle: a warrior’s forceful strike is met not by prideful resistance but by alert self-preservation, showing how even the greatest teachers must navigate the ethics and necessities of survival amid adharma-leaning chaos on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a dharma-framed war, survival and alertness are practical necessities; greatness is shown not only in prowess but in timely judgment—responding to danger without ego, especially amid escalating violence.
An attacker (contextually Bhīma in the surrounding passage) hurls a weapon toward Droṇa; Droṇa reacts instantly by jumping down from his chariot to evade the blow.