Shloka 43
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
राजन्ननिशमत्यन्तं दृष्टवा द्रोणं शरार्चिषम् । मण्डलीकृतथन्वानं तपन्तमिव भास्करम्
rājann aniśam atyantaṃ dṛṣṭvā droṇaṃ śarārcīṣam | maṇḍalīkṛtadhanvānaṃ tapantam iva bhāskaram ||
Sañjaya said: O King, seeing Droṇa incessantly and with overwhelming intensity—blazing with the fiery radiance of arrows, his bow drawn into a full circle—he appeared like the scorching sun itself. The verse underscores the terrifying moral weight of martial prowess when it becomes an all-consuming force on the battlefield.
सयजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary skill and power in war can become morally overwhelming: martial brilliance, though part of kṣatriya-duty, can also resemble a consuming fire. It invites reflection on the ethical burden of violence even when performed under the banner of duty.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa is being seen continuously in a fearsome state—radiant with arrows and wielding his bow in a circular, fully drawn manner—so formidable that he seems like the scorching sun on the battlefield.