Shloka 9
पदाताश्च रणे द्रोणं पातयन्तु महारथम् । “इसी प्रकार हमारे समस्त रथी, हाथी-घोड़ोंकी जो कुछ भी सेना अवशिष्ट है वह और पैदल सैनिक--ये सभी रणभूमिमें महारथी द्रोणाचार्यको मार गिरावें” ।। तथा>ऊज्ञप्तास्तु ते सर्वे पाण्डवेन महात्मना
sañjaya uvāca | padātāś ca raṇe droṇaṃ pātayantu mahāratham | tathājñaptās tu te sarve pāṇḍavena mahātmanā ||
Sañjaya said: “Let the foot-soldiers in the battle bring down Droṇa, that great chariot-warrior.” Thus commanded by the high-souled son of Pāṇḍu, all of them set themselves to the task—what remained of the army, from chariot-fighters to infantry—seeking to fell Droṇācārya on the field. The verse underscores the grim wartime ethic of concentrating force against a pivotal commander, even when the target is a revered teacher, revealing the tension between strategic necessity and moral restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral complexity of war: strategic necessity can demand targeting a decisive leader even when he is a venerable teacher. It points to the tension between reverence (for Droṇa as guru) and the perceived duty to end a destructive conflict by neutralizing its strongest pillar.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava side issues a command for the infantry and remaining forces to focus their attack on Droṇa, the foremost Kaurava commander. The army, following the order, moves to concentrate force against him on the battlefield.