Mahabharata 7.73.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 73, Shloka 4
द्रोण–सात्यकि द्वैरथम्
Droṇa and Sātyaki: The Chariot Duel
ते पीड्यमाना द्रोणेन द्रोणानीक॑ न शकक््नुम: । प्रतिवीक्षितुमप्याजौ भेत्तुं तत् कुत एव तु
te pīḍyamānā droṇena droṇānīkaṁ na śaknumaḥ | prativīkṣitum apy ājau bhettuṁ tat kuta eva tu ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Ditekan oleh Droṇa, kami tidak mampu walau sekadar mengangkat mata memandang susunan tempurnya di medan; apatah lagi untuk menembus dan memecahkannya dalam pertempuran.” Kata-kata ini menegaskan tekanan moral dan strategi yang lahir daripada keunggulan Droṇa—kekuatannya bukan semata-mata fizikal, tetapi juga menundukkan jiwa, menyempitkan ruang gerak Pāṇḍava dalam perang dharma.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a single commander’s excellence can create moral and psychological constraint in war: when the opponent’s force overwhelms one’s courage and clarity, strategic objectives (like breaking a formation) become unattainable. It also reflects the dharmic tension of fighting a revered teacher—fear, reverence, and duty collide.
Yudhiṣṭhira describes the Pāṇḍavas’ predicament in the Droṇa Parva: Droṇa’s onslaught is so intense that they cannot even look toward his array on the battlefield, let alone penetrate and break it. This sets the stage for the urgency of counter-strategy against Droṇa’s formations.
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