Shloka 8
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
मण्डलं तु समावृत्य विचरन् पृतनामुखे । ध्वजं चिच्छेद च क्रुद्धो द्रोणस्यामित्रकर्षण:,तत्पश्चात् शत्रुसूदन सत्यजितने अत्यन्त कुपित हो सेनाके प्रमुख भागमें मण्डलाकार विचरते हुए अपने बाणद्दारा द्रोणाचार्यके ध्वजको भी काट डाला
maṇḍalaṃ tu samāvṛtya vicaran pṛtanāmukhe | dhvajaṃ ciccheda ca kruddho droṇasyāmitrakarṣaṇaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Moving in a circular formation at the very front of the army, the foe-subduing warrior—enraged—cut down Droṇa’s banner as well. In the ethics of battle, the striking of a commander’s standard is not merely a tactical act but a symbolic assault on morale and command, intensifying the contest’s psychological and dharmic stakes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare involves not only physical combat but also symbolic targets—like a commander’s banner—that affect morale and command. It implicitly cautions that anger (krodha) can drive decisive action, yet such acts carry ethical weight within kṣatriya-dharma because they escalate hostility and strike at honor-symbols.
Sañjaya describes a warrior maneuvering in a circular pattern at the army’s front and, in anger, cutting down Droṇa’s banner. The act signals an aggressive challenge to Droṇa’s leadership and attempts to weaken the opposing side’s confidence.