Shloka 64
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
नैतादृशो दृष्टपूर्व: संग्रामो नैव च श्रुतः । द्रोणस्याभावभावे तु प्रसक्तानां यथाभवत्,द्रोणाचार्यके वध और संरक्षणमें लगे हुए पाण्डव तथा कौरव-सैनिकोंमें जैसा संग्राम हुआ था, ऐसा पहले कभी न तो देखा गया है और न सुना ही गया है
naitādṛśo dṛṣṭapūrvaḥ saṅgrāmo naiva ca śrutaḥ | droṇasyābhāvabhāve tu prasaktānāṃ yathābhavat ||
Sañjaya said: Such a battle has never been seen before, nor even heard of. For when Droṇa’s very presence—or his absence—became the decisive factor, the fighting of those fully engaged (in slaying him or protecting him) unfolded in a manner unprecedented, as the Pāṇḍava and Kaurava warriors strove around Droṇācārya’s death and defense.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war can reach morally and emotionally extreme intensity when a single pivotal figure becomes the axis of collective duty and attachment. It hints at the ethical strain of fighting around a revered teacher: loyalty, obligation, and strategic necessity collide, producing an unprecedented ferocity.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combat surrounding Droṇa became unlike anything known before. Both sides were wholly absorbed—some striving to kill Droṇa, others to protect him—so that the battle’s character was transformed by the question of Droṇa’s continued presence or removal from the field.