Shloka 52
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
ते कम्प्यमाना द्रोणेन बाणै: पाण्डवसृञ्जया:
te kampyamānā droṇena bāṇaiḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayāḥ
Sañjaya said: Shaken and made to tremble by Droṇa’s arrows, the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas found themselves hard-pressed on the battlefield—an image of how a single master of arms can unsettle even a righteous alliance when war’s force overwhelms resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological reality of war: even those aligned with a righteous cause can be shaken when confronted by overwhelming skill and force. It implicitly points to the need for steadiness (dhairya) and disciplined resolve amid adversity.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa is striking the Pāṇḍava-Sṛñjaya forces with volleys of arrows, causing them to tremble and lose composure under his assault.