Shloka 526
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
पुन: पुनरभज्यन्त सिंहेनेवेतरे मृगा: । जैसे सिंह दूसरे मृगोंको भगा देता है, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्यके बाणोंसे विकम्पित हुए पाण्डव तथा सूंजय बारंबार युद्धका मैदान छोड़कर भागने लगे
punaḥ punar abhajyanta siṁhen evetare mṛgāḥ |
सञ्जय उवाच—पुनः पुनरभज्यन्त सिंहेनेवेतरे मृगाः। द्रोणस्य बाणैर्विकम्पिताः पाण्डवाः ससुहृदः पुनः पुनर्युद्धभूमिं त्यक्त्वा पलायन्त।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological truth that in war, sheer prowess and strategic pressure can shatter collective morale; when fear dominates, even duty-bound warriors may abandon their post, underscoring the need for steadiness (dhairya) and disciplined leadership.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa’s assault is so formidable that the opposing fighters—likened to deer before a lion—are repeatedly scattered; the Pāṇḍavas and their supporting forces, trembling under the rain of arrows, withdraw from the battlefield again and again.