हते द्रोणे निरुत्साहान् कुरून् पाण्डवसृञज्जया:
hate droṇe nirutsāhān kurūn pāṇḍavasṛñjayaḥ
Sañjaya berkata: “Apabila Droṇa telah terbunuh, para pahlawan Kuru pun hilang semangat; sedangkan para Pāṇḍava bersama Sṛñjaya menekan maju, menukar keputusasaan musuh menjadi momentum penentu di medan perang.”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how the fall of a central leader can collapse an army’s morale, showing the ethical and practical weight of leadership in war: courage and cohesion often depend on trusted guides, and their loss can rapidly shift the balance of power.
After Droṇa is killed, the Kuru forces become dispirited. Sensing this, the Pāṇḍavas and their Sṛñjaya allies surge forward, exploiting the enemy’s loss of resolve as a major turning point in the battle.