Shloka 24
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
ततो युधिष्टिरं प्रेप्सुराचार्य: शत्रुपूगहा । व्यधमत् तान्यनीकानि तूलराशिमिवानल:,तब शत्रुसमूहोंका नाश करनेवाले द्रोणाचार्यने युधिष्ठिरको पकड़नेके लिये उन समस्त सैनिकोंका उसी प्रकार संहार कर डाला, जैसे आग रूईके ढेरको जला देती है
tato yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prepsur ācāryaḥ śatrupūgahā | vyadhamat tāny anīkāni tūlarāśim ivānalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa, the preceptor—destroyer of masses of foes—seeking to seize Yudhiṣṭhira, struck down those battle-formations, just as fire consumes a heap of cotton. The verse underscores how a single-minded objective in war can drive overwhelming violence, raising the ethical tension between strategic necessity and the devastation inflicted upon countless warriors.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral strain of warfare: when a commander fixates on a strategic goal (capturing Yudhiṣṭhira), the means can become massively destructive. The cotton-and-fire simile emphasizes how quickly and indiscriminately violence can spread once unleashed, prompting reflection on proportionality and responsibility even amid duty-bound combat.
Droṇa advances with the intent to seize Yudhiṣṭhira. To reach him, he breaks through and annihilates the intervening troop-formations, overwhelming them with the speed and totality likened to fire burning a pile of cotton.