Shloka 216
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
किमु पाण्डुसुतान् युद्धे हीनवीर्यपराक्रमान् । “क्योंकि कर्ण समरांगणमें इन्द्रके सहित देवताओंको भी जीतनेमें समर्थ है। फिर, जो बल और पराक्रममें कर्णकी अपेक्षा निम्न श्रेणीके हैं, उन पाण्डवोंको युद्धमें पराजित करना उसके लिये कौन बड़ी बात है
kimu pāṇḍusutān yuddhe hīnavīryaparākramān |
Sañjaya said: “What great feat would it be for him to defeat in battle the sons of Pāṇḍu, whose strength and martial prowess are inferior?” The remark frames the war in terms of comparative might, implying that victory over weaker opponents is not, by itself, a measure of true heroism or righteousness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical nuance of warfare: defeating those deemed weaker is not automatically a glorious achievement. It implicitly questions how heroism should be measured—by mere victory, or by the worthiness of the contest and the righteousness (dharma) behind it.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, comments on the prospect of defeating the Pāṇḍavas in battle, describing them as inferior in strength and prowess. The line functions as a rhetorical assessment of relative martial capability within the unfolding conflict.