Shloka 25
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
निर्दहन्तमनीकानि तानि तानि पुन: पुनः । द्रोणं मत्स्यादवरज: शतानीको<भ्यवर्तत,उन समस्त सैनिकोंको बार-बार बाणोंकी आगसे दग्ध करते देख विराटके छोटे भाई शतानीक द्रोणाचार्यपर चढ़ आये
nirdahantam anīkāni tāni tāni punaḥ punaḥ | droṇaṃ matsyād-avarajaḥ śatānīko 'bhyavartata ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing Droṇa repeatedly scorching those battle-formations again and again with the fire of his arrows, Śatānīka—the younger brother of Virāṭa, born in the Matsya line—rushed forward to attack Droṇācārya. The scene underscores how, amid the moral chaos of war, valor and kin-duty drive warriors to confront even an overwhelming teacher-general when their side is being devastated.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior-ethic in epic warfare: when a leader’s forces are being annihilated, a kṣatriya is compelled by honor and protective duty to confront the source of devastation, even if that opponent is extraordinarily powerful. It also reflects how skill and authority in war (Droṇa’s mastery) provoke counter-challenges driven by loyalty and responsibility.
Droṇa is repeatedly destroying troop-formations with volleys of arrows likened to fire. Witnessing this, Śatānīka—Virāṭa’s younger brother from the Matsya side—charges forward to engage Droṇa directly, attempting to check the slaughter by attacking the commander himself.