Shloka 22
शैनेयचरितम्
The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement
संघट्टयति सैन्यानि द्रोणस्तु रथिनां वर: । व्यधमच्चापि तान्यस्य धृष्टद्युम्नो महारथ:,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोण बारंबार अपनी सेनाओंको संगठित करते और महारथी धुष्टद्युम्न उनकी सब सेनाओंको छित्न-भिन्न कर देते थे
saṅghaṭṭayati sainyāni droṇas tu rathināṃ varaḥ | vyadhamac cāpi tāny asya dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Drona, foremost among chariot-warriors, repeatedly regrouped and pressed his forces into formation; yet Dhṛṣṭadyumna, a great chariot-fighter, kept shattering and scattering those very troops. The verse highlights the relentless contest of military skill—order imposed and order broken—amid the moral strain of a war where prowess and duty collide.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest skill in imposing order (Drona’s regrouping) can be met by equally formidable force that disrupts it (Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s breaking of formations). The verse underscores the instability of power in war and the ethical tension of duty performed through violence.
On the battlefield, Drona repeatedly consolidates his forces into organized formations, while Dhṛṣṭadyumna repeatedly attacks and disperses those formations, preventing Drona’s army from maintaining cohesion.