Mahabharata 7.21.44 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 44
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
क्रूरां शरीरसंघट्टां सादिनक्रां दुरत्ययाम् । द्रोण: प्रावर्तयत् तत्र नदीमन्तकगामिनीम्
sañjaya uvāca |
krūrāṃ śarīrasaṃghaṭṭāṃ sādinakrāṃ duratyayām |
droṇaḥ prāvartayat tatra nadīm antakagāminīm ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di sana, Droṇa menggerakkan sebuah sungai pertempuran yang kejam—tersumbat oleh tubuh-tubuh yang remuk, dipenuhi buaya dan binatang buas, dan hampir mustahil diseberangi—sebuah sungai yang menghanyutkan manusia menuju Antaka (Maut) sendiri. Gambaran ini menegaskan bahawa medan perang bukanlah permainan kepahlawanan, melainkan bencana moral: perang, sekali dilepaskan, menjadi arus yang menyeret kedua-dua pihak ke arah kebinasaan, tanpa mengira keberanian atau niat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a stark metaphor—war as a death-bound river—to underline the ethical gravity of violence: once battle intensifies, it becomes an impersonal force that sweeps away lives on all sides, challenging any easy glorification of warfare.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s onslaught in the Droṇa Parva: Droṇa’s tactics and ferocity make the battlefield resemble a terrifying river filled with bodies and predators, nearly impossible for warriors to ‘cross’—i.e., to survive or overcome.
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