तयोर् विषक्तयोः संख्ये पाञ्चाल्यकुरुमुख्ययोः ॥
द्रोणो यौधिष्ठिरं सैन्यं बहुधा व्यधमच् छरैः ॥
अनिलेन यथाभ्राणि विच्छिन्नानि समन्ततः ॥
तथा पार्थस्य सैन्यानि विच्छिन्नानि क्व चित् क्व चित् ॥
मुहूर्तम् इव तद् युद्धम् आसीन् मधुरदर्शनम् ॥
तत उन्मत्तवद् राजन् निर्मर्यादम् अवर्तत ॥
tayor viṣaktayoḥ saṃkhye pāñcālyakurumukhyayoḥ ||
droṇo yaudhiṣṭhiraṃ sainyaṃ bahudhā vyadhamac charaiḥ ||
anilena yathābhrāṇi vicchinnāni samantataḥ ||
tathā pārthasya sainyāni vicchinnāni kva cit kva cit ||
muhūrtam iva tad yuddham āsīn madhuradarśanam ||
tata unmattavad rājan nirmaryādam avartata ||
While those two — the Panchala prince and the leader of the Kauravas — clashed in combat, Drona with his arrows scattered the host of Yudhishthira in many places. As clouds torn apart by the wind [scatter] in every direction, so the hosts of Partha were scattered here and there. For a brief moment that battle was delightful to the sight; but then, O king, it went on as if insane, beyond all measure.
983f896f0415 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
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While the younger warriors are locked in a duel, Drona does the essential thing — he scatters an entire host: the great master does not dissipate himself in minor skirmishes but strikes at the foundation. The image of the wind tearing clouds apart depicts how a countless army is scattered before a single master of arms. It is significant that "for a brief moment" the battle is still delightful to the sight — orderly, like a rite — and then breaks into madness "beyond all measure." The verse teaches that there is measure and order even in warfare, and while these hold, battle is still human; but that violence, once unleashed, quickly loses every limit and turns into blind madness; and that wise is the one who discerns the line beyond which ordered force becomes an element no longer subject to anyone.