Shloka 756
तावका निहते द्रोणे गतासव इवाभवन् | युद्धमें आपके बहुत योद्धा तीखे बाणोंद्वारा मारे गये थे और बहुत-से अधमरे हो रहे थे। द्रोणाचार्यके मारे जानेपर वे सभी निष्प्राण-से हो गये
tāvakā nihate droṇe gatāsava ivābhavan |
Sañjaya said: When Droṇa had been slain, the Kaurava warriors became as if bereft of life. Already struck down in battle by sharp arrows, with many fallen and many left grievously wounded, the death of their commander drained their remaining spirit and cohesion, revealing how the fall of a leader can collapse an army’s moral strength amid the harsh ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the fall of a central leader can render even a large force powerless in spirit—suggesting that strength in war is not only physical but also psychological and ethical, sustained by trust, command, and perceived righteousness.
After Droṇa is killed, Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava warriors, already devastated by arrows and heavy casualties, become stunned and inert—‘as if lifeless’—as their commander’s death shatters their cohesion.