Shloka 31
अक्षौहिणीमभ्यधिकां शूराणामनिवर्तिनाम् | निहत्य पश्चाद् धृतिमानगच्छत् परमां गतिम्,धैर्यशाली द्रोणाचार्यने युद्धमें पीठ न दिखानेवाले शूरवीरोंकी एक अक्षौहिणीसे भी अधिक सेनाका संहार करके पीछे स्वयं भी परमगति प्राप्त कर ली
akṣauhiṇīm abhyadhikāṃ śūrāṇām anivartinām | nihatya paścād dhṛtimān agacchat paramāṃ gatim ||
Sañjaya said: Having slain more than an akṣauhiṇī of warriors—heroes who would not turn back from battle—the steadfast one thereafter attained the highest state. The verse underscores the grim culmination of martial duty: unwavering resolve in war brings decisive destruction, yet it also raises the ethical tension between valor and the catastrophic cost of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness (dhṛti) and uncompromising martial resolve, while implicitly confronting the ethical burden of war: even ‘heroic’ duty can entail immense destruction, and the epic invites reflection on whether glory can outweigh the suffering caused.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇācārya, after causing the slaughter of more than an akṣauhiṇī of unretreating warriors, subsequently reached ‘paramā gati’—a supreme end—marking the close of his violent role in the battle narrative.