पाञ्चालान् निहतान् दृष्ट्वा देवकल्पान् महारथान् ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नो भृशं क्रुद्धो नेत्राभ्यां पातयञ् जलम् ॥
अभ्यवर्तत संग्रामे क्रुद्धो द्रोणरथं प्रति ॥
ततो हा हेति सहसा नादः समभवन् नृप ॥
पाञ्चाल्येन रणे दृष्ट्वा द्रोणम् आवारितं शरैः ॥
संछाद्यमानो बहुधा पार्षतेन महात्मना ॥
न विव्यथे ततो द्रोणः स्मयन्न् एवान्वयुध्यत ॥
pāñcālān nihatān dṛṣṭvā devakalpān mahārathān ||
dhṛṣṭadyumno bhṛśaṃ kruddho netrābhyāṃ pātayañ jalam ||
abhyavartata saṃgrāme kruddho droṇarathaṃ prati ||
tato hā heti sahasā nādaḥ samabhavan nṛpa ||
pāñcālyena raṇe dṛṣṭvā droṇam āvāritaṃ śaraiḥ ||
saṃchādyamāno bahudhā pārṣatena mahātmanā ||
na vivyathe tato droṇaḥ smayann evānvayudhyata ||
Seeing the godlike great chariot-warriors of the Panchalas slain, Dhrishtadyumna, greatly enraged, letting tears fall from both his eyes... Then suddenly a cry of "alas, alas!" arose, O king, at the sight of Drona held in check by the arrows of the Panchalya, Dhrishtadyumna, in battle. Assailed many times over by the great-souled son of Prishata, Drona did not waver, but fought on, smiling.
3dca1e5ff228 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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Drona "na vivyathe... smayann eva anvayudhyata", did not waver and fought while smiling: the composure of a master even when surrounded. And Dhrishtadyumna, shedding tears of rage, rushes to take vengeance -- born for Drona's undoing. It is telling that those destined for each other now meet. The verse teaches that in the higher ordering of things, the instrument and the doomed come together: Dhrishtadyumna, whose destiny was Drona's death, is drawn to him by grief and anger -- and the teacher's calm before him is the calm of one who knows his hour.