Shloka 19
दुःशासननिग्रहः—द्रोणधृष्टद्युम्नयुद्धप्रसङ्गः
Rebuke of Duḥśāsana; Context of the Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna Combat
कुन्तिभोजं ततो रक्षो विद्ध्व बहुभिरायसै: । अनदद् भैरवं नादं वाहिन्या: प्रमुखे तव,फिर राक्षसने बहुत-से लोहेके बाणोंद्वारा राजा कुन्तिभोजको घायल करके आपकी सेनाके प्रमुख भागमें बड़ी भयंकर गर्जना की
kuntibhojaṃ tato rakṣo viddhvā bahubhir āyasaiḥ | anadad bhairavaṃ nādaṃ vāhinyāḥ pramukhe tava ||
Sañjaya said: Then that rākṣasa, having pierced King Kuntibhoja with many iron arrows, let out a dreadful roar in the very forefront of your army—an act meant to spread terror and break the enemy’s resolve amid the chaos of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare targets not only bodies but also minds: terror, intimidation, and displays of ferocity are used to shatter morale. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring concern that violence escalates beyond mere combat into psychological domination, deepening the tragedy of dharma strained by war.
A rākṣasa warrior strikes King Kuntibhoja with many iron arrows and then roars loudly at the front of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s forces, signaling aggression and attempting to frighten and destabilize the opposing ranks.