Shloka 14
Somadatta–Sātyaki Engagement; Bhīma’s Interventions; Droṇa–Yudhiṣṭhira Astra Exchange
Book 7, Chapter 132
यावत् तेषां भयं पश्चात् तावदेषां पुरःसरम् । तद् गरीयस्तरं मन्ये यत्र कृष्णधनंजयौ,द्रोणाचार्यने कहा--तात! सोचने-विचारनेको तो बहुत कुछ है, किंतु इस समय जो कर्तव्य प्राप्त है वह मुझसे सुनो। पाण्डवपक्षके तीन महारथी हमारी सेनाको लाँधकर आगे बढ़ गये हैं। पीछे उनका जितना भय है, उतना ही आगे भी है। परंतु जहाँ अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्ण हैं वहीं मेरी समझमें अधिक भयकी आशंका है
yāvat teṣāṃ bhayaṃ paścāt tāvad eṣāṃ puraḥsaram | tad garīyastaraṃ manye yatra kṛṣṇa-dhanañjayau ||
Droṇa said: “As much danger as they pose from the rear, so much do they pose from the front as well. Yet I judge the greater peril to be where Kṛṣṇa and Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) are. Therefore, hear from me what must be done now—though there is much one could deliberate, the duty at hand is decisive.”
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Droṇa emphasizes decisive action aligned with immediate duty (kartavya) over prolonged deliberation, and he models strategic discernment by identifying where the gravest ethical and tactical risk lies—where Kṛṣṇa’s counsel and Arjuna’s prowess combine.
In the Drona Parva battle context, Droṇa evaluates the battlefield situation: certain Pāṇḍava champions have advanced beyond the Kaurava lines, creating danger both from behind and ahead. He concludes that the most serious threat is the sector where Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are present, and he urges attention to the immediate course of action.