Shloka 6
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
अथाभिषिषिचुद्रोंणं दुर्योधनमुखा नृपा: । सैनापत्ये यथा स्कन्दं पुरा शक्रमुखा: सुरा:,तदनन्तर जैसे पूर्वकालमें इन्द्र आदि देवताओंने स्कन्दको सेनापतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया था, उसी प्रकार दुर्योधन आदि राजाओंने भी द्रोणाचार्यका अभिषेक किया
athābhiṣiṣicur droṇaṁ duryodhana-mukhā nṛpāḥ | saināpatye yathā skandaṁ purā śakra-mukhāḥ surāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the kings led by Duryodhana consecrated Droṇa to the office of commander of the army—just as, in former times, the gods led by Śakra (Indra) had consecrated Skanda as their general. The narrative underscores how a community, in crisis, seeks legitimacy and morale by ritually installing a leader, even as the war’s ethical weight deepens with each formal escalation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how authority in war is reinforced through ritual and collective consent: leaders are not only chosen for skill but also installed in a way that binds the group to a shared purpose. Ethically, it signals a heightened commitment to the war’s course—formalizing command can strengthen resolve, but it also deepens responsibility for the violence that follows.
After a change in command, the Kaurava-aligned kings, led by Duryodhana, perform an anointing/consecration to appoint Droṇa as commander-in-chief. Sañjaya compares this to the ancient precedent of the gods, led by Indra, consecrating Skanda as their general.