Shloka 26
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
सूर्यरश्मिप्रतीकाशै: कर्मारपरिमार्जिति: । षड्भि: ससूतं सहयं द्रोणं विद्ध्वानदद् भूशम्,उन्होंने कारीगरके द्वारा स्वच्छ किये हुए सूर्यकी किरणोंके समान चमकीले छ: बाणोंद्वारा सारथि और घोड़ोंसहित द्रोणाचार्यको घायल करके बड़े चोरसे गर्जना की
sūryaraśmipratīkāśaiḥ karmāraparimārjitaiḥ | ṣaḍbhiḥ sasūtaṃ sahayaṃ droṇaṃ viddhvā nanāda bhūśam ||
Sañjaya said: With six arrows, bright like sunbeams and burnished by the smith, he struck Droṇa—together with his charioteer and horses—and then roared aloud like a mighty bull. In the ethical frame of the epic, the verse heightens the war’s ferocity: martial excellence and crafted weaponry are displayed, while the act of wounding even the teacher Droṇa underscores how, once dharma is eclipsed by battlefield necessity, reverence yields to the compulsions of combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how war magnifies skill and aggression while compressing moral space: even a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a target when combat duty dominates. It invites reflection on how dharma can be pressured by circumstance, and how prowess without restraint intensifies suffering.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior (contextually, an opposing fighter to Droṇa) shoots six brilliantly polished arrows, wounding Droṇa along with his charioteer and horses, and then lets out a thunderous roar, signaling dominance and escalating the battle’s intensity.