Shloka 9
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
जयशब्दे्द्धिजाग्रयाणां सुभगानर्तितिस्तथा | सत्कृत्य विधिना द्रोणं मेनिरे पाण्डवाञ्जितान्,पुण्याहवाचन, स्वस्तिवाचन, सूत, मागध और वन्दीजनोंके स्तोत्र, गीत तथा श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंक जय-जयकारके शब्दसे एवं नाचनेवाली स्त्रियोंके नृत्यसे द्रोणाचार्यका विधिवत् सत्कार करके कौरवोंने यह मान लिया कि अब पाण्डव पराजित हो गये
jayaśabde dvidhijāgrayāṇāṃ subhagānartitis tathā | satkṛtya vidhinā droṇaṃ menire pāṇḍavāñ jitān |
Sañjaya said: Amid the cries of victory raised by eminent Brahmins, along with auspicious dancing, the Kauravas performed a formal, rule-bound honoring of Droṇa. Having thus celebrated him with due rites, they concluded that the Pāṇḍavas had now been defeated. The verse highlights how public ritual and triumphal display can harden a party’s moral certainty, even while the war’s reality remains fluid.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that ceremonial honor, victory-cries, and festive display can create an illusion of final success; ethical judgment in war should not be based on spectacle or self-congratulation, since outcomes and righteousness are not guaranteed by public acclaim.
After honoring Droṇa with due rites amid victory acclamations and auspicious performances, the Kauravas persuade themselves that the Pāṇḍavas have been defeated, reflecting their confidence in Droṇa’s leadership and their interpretation of the battle’s momentum.