Shloka 50
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
उत्तमौजास्त्रिभिाणिे: क्षत्रदेवश्च सप्तभि: । सात्यकिश्न शतेनाजौ युधामन्युस्तथाष्टभि:,उस समय शिखण्डीने झुकी हुई गाँठवाले पाँच बाणोंद्वारा द्रोणाचार्यको बींध डाला। तत्पश्चात् क्षत्रवर्माने बीस, वसुदानने पाँच, उत्तमौजाने तीन, क्षत्रदेवने सात, सात्यकिने सौ, युधामन्युने आठ और युधिष्छिरने बारह बाणोंद्वारा युद्धस्थलमें द्रोणाचार्यको घायल कर दिया। धृष्टद्युम्नने दस और चेकितानने उन्हें तीन बाण मारे
sañjaya uvāca | uttamaujās tribhir bāṇaiḥ kṣatradevaś ca saptabhiḥ | sātyakiś ca śatena ajau yudhāmanyus tathāṣṭabhiḥ |
Sanjaya said: In that battle, Uttamaujas struck Droṇa with three arrows, and Kṣatradeva with seven. Sātyaki, in the thick of combat, pierced him with a hundred, and Yudhāmanyu likewise with eight. The scene underscores the grim momentum of war: many righteous warriors, driven by duty and necessity, converge upon a single formidable teacher-warrior, turning the battlefield into a test of resolve, restraint, and the tragic costs of dharma pursued through violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of dharma in war: even a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a target when duty to one’s side and the perceived necessity of ending a destructive threat override personal reverence. It invites reflection on how righteous intent can still entail grievous harm in a dharmic crisis.
Sañjaya reports a coordinated attack in which multiple warriors—Uttamaujas, Kṣatradeva, Sātyaki, and Yudhāmanyu—strike Droṇa with specified numbers of arrows, emphasizing the intensity of the assault and Droṇa’s central, dangerous presence on the battlefield.