Shloka 29
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
मत्स्याज्चित्वा3जयच्चेदीन् करूषान् केकयानपि । पज्चालान् सृज्जयान् पाण्डून् भारद्वाज: पुनः पुन:,इस प्रकार भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोणाचार्यने मत्स्यदेशीय योद्धाओंको जीतकर चेदि, करूष, केकय, पांचाल, सूंजय तथा पाण्डव-सैनिकोंको भी बारंबार परास्त किया
matsyāñ jitvā jayañ cedīn karūṣān kekayān api | pañcālān sṛñjayān pāṇḍūn bhāradvājaḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having subdued the warriors of Matsya, and having also defeated the Cedis, the Karūṣas, and the Kekayas, Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa) again and again routed the Pañcālas, the Sṛñjayas, and the Pāṇḍava forces. The verse underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where prowess and strategy repeatedly overturn armies, even as the larger moral tragedy of kin-slaying continues to unfold.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inexorable force of war: repeated victories can arise from skill and command, yet they also intensify the moral weight of the conflict—power used effectively does not by itself resolve the underlying dharmic rupture of fighting one’s own kin and allies.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa is repeatedly defeating multiple allied contingents of the Pāṇḍavas—Matsya, Cedi, Karūṣa, Kekaya, and then Pañcāla and Sṛñjaya forces—showing Droṇa’s dominance in this phase of the battle.