Shloka 37
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
द्रोणस्तु पाण्डवानीके चकार कदनं महत् | यथा दैत्यगणे विष्णु: सुरासुरनमस्कृत:,जैसे देव-दानववन्दित भगवान् विष्णु दैत्योंकी सेनामें भयानक संहार मचाते हैं, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्यने पाण्डव-सेनामें भारी मारकाट मचा रखी थी
droṇas tu pāṇḍavānīke cakāra kadanaṃ mahat | yathā daityagaṇe viṣṇuḥ surāsuranamaskṛtaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Droṇa wrought a great slaughter in the Pāṇḍava host—just as Viṣṇu, revered by both gods and demons, brings fearful destruction upon the ranks of the Dānavas. The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: even a teacher famed for learning becomes an instrument of mass killing when duty to one’s side is taken up in battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war magnifies capability into devastation: a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a force of ruin when bound to battlefield duty. The ethical tension is implicit—skill and righteousness are not identical, and even ‘duty’ can entail grievous harm.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa is cutting down the Pāṇḍava forces on the battlefield. To convey the scale, he compares Droṇa’s onslaught to Viṣṇu’s terrifying destruction of the Daityas, despite being honored by both gods and demons.