Shloka 24
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
द्रोणश्न॒ सह पुत्रेण सर्वास्त्रविधिपारग: । “वे सारी अक्षौहिणी सेनाएँ जयद्रथकी रक्षा करेंगी तथा सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-विधिके पारंगत विद्वान् द्रोणाचार्य भी अपने पुत्र अश्वत्थामाके साथ उसकी रक्षामें रहेंगे ।। २३ ई ।। एको वीर: सहस्राक्षो दैत्यदानवदर्पहा
droṇaś ca saha putreṇa sarvāstravidhipāragaḥ | eko vīraḥ sahasrākṣo daityadānavadarpahā ||
Sañjaya said: “Droṇa too, together with his son, a master of every method and discipline of weaponry, will stand guard. And there is that single heroic warrior—mighty as the thousand-eyed Indra—who crushes the pride of Daityas and Dānavas.” The statement underscores how the Kaurava side concentrates elite protectors around a key objective, framing protection and prowess as decisive factors in the unfolding ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how mastery (sarvāstravidhi-pāraga) and concentrated guardianship are marshaled to protect a crucial aim in war; ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between strategic necessity and the moral cost of escalating violence through elite force.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava arrangements for protection: Droṇa, accompanied by his son Aśvatthāman, is positioned as a highly skilled defender, and a singular, Indra-like champion is also invoked as a formidable presence—emphasizing the strength gathered around the protected target (contextually, Jayadratha’s safeguarding in this episode).