Shloka 6
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
अथाभिषिषिचुद्रोंणं दुर्योधनमुखा नृपा: । सैनापत्ये यथा स्कन्दं पुरा शक्रमुखा: सुरा:,तदनन्तर जैसे पूर्वकालमें इन्द्र आदि देवताओंने स्कन्दको सेनापतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया था, उसी प्रकार दुर्योधन आदि राजाओंने भी द्रोणाचार्यका अभिषेक किया
athābhiṣiṣicur droṇaṁ duryodhana-mukhā nṛpāḥ | saināpatye yathā skandaṁ purā śakra-mukhāḥ surāḥ ||
अथाभिषिषिचुर्द्रोणं दुर्योधनमुखा नृपाः। सैनापत्ये यथा स्कन्दं पुरा शक्रमुखाः सुराः॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how authority in war is reinforced through ritual and collective consent: leaders are not only chosen for skill but also installed in a way that binds the group to a shared purpose. Ethically, it signals a heightened commitment to the war’s course—formalizing command can strengthen resolve, but it also deepens responsibility for the violence that follows.
After a change in command, the Kaurava-aligned kings, led by Duryodhana, perform an anointing/consecration to appoint Droṇa as commander-in-chief. Sañjaya compares this to the ancient precedent of the gods, led by Indra, consecrating Skanda as their general.