Shloka 18
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
स तन्न ममृषे द्रोण: पाञ्चाल्येनार्दितो मृधे । ततस्तस्य विनाशाय सत्वरं व्यसृजच्छरान्,संग्राममें पांचालराजकुमार सत्यजित्से पीड़ित होकर द्रोणाचार्य उसके पराक्रमको न सह सके। इसलिये तुरंत ही उसके विनाशके लिये उन्होंने बाणोंकी वर्षा प्रारम्भ कर दी
sa tan na mamṛṣe droṇaḥ pāñcālyenārdito mṛdhe | tatas tasya vināśāya satvaraṁ vyasṛjac charān |
Sañjaya said: Drona could not endure that assault in battle, being hard-pressed by the son of the king of Pāñcāla. Therefore, intent on bringing about his destruction, he swiftly let fly a shower of arrows. The verse highlights how, amid the pressures of war, even a revered teacher responds with decisive—indeed lethal—force when challenged, revealing the tension between martial duty and the moral weight of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how battlefield pressure can drive even an esteemed elder like Drona to immediate lethal action. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between martial duty (responding decisively to a threat) and the grave moral consequence of seeking another’s destruction.
In the midst of combat, Drona is severely challenged by a Pāñcāla prince (noted here as Satyajit). Unable to bear the onslaught, Drona quickly retaliates by releasing a concentrated volley of arrows aimed at killing him.