Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
नरनागाश्चवमथनं परमं लोमहर्षणम् । द्रोणकर्णकृपा वीरा भीमपार्षतसात्यका:
sañjaya uvāca
naranāgāś ca vamathanaṁ paramaṁ lomaharṣaṇam |
droṇakarṇakṛpā vīrā bhīmapārṣatasātyakāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Terjadilah suatu hiruk-pikuk yang paling dahsyat, hingga bulu roma berdiri—manusia dan gajah bergelora dalam pertembungan yang ganas. Para wira Droṇa, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Bhīma, Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata), dan Sātyaki berada di jantung perlanggaran yang menggerunkan itu.”
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the terrifying scale of war—where even great heroes become agents within a violent ‘churning’ that overwhelms men and beasts alike—inviting reflection on the ethical cost of conflict even when framed as kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya reports an intense phase of fighting in which the battlefield is thrown into a dreadful upheaval involving warriors and elephants, with major champions—Droṇa, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Bhīma, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Sātyaki—prominently engaged.