एष त्व् अहम् अनीकानि प्रविशाम्य् अरिसूदन ॥
रणाय महते राजंस् त्वया वाक्शल्यपीडितः ॥
त्वं च दुर्योधन बलं यदि शक्नोषि धारय ॥
रात्राव् अपि हि योत्स्यन्ते संरब्धाः कुरुसृञ्जयाः ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा ततः प्रायाद् द्रोणः पाण्डवसृञ्जयान् ॥
मुष्णन् क्षत्रियतेजांसि नक्षत्राणाम् इवांशुमान् ॥
eṣa tv aham anīkāni praviśāmy arisūdana ||
raṇāya mahate rājaṃs tvayā vākśalyapīḍitaḥ ||
tvaṃ ca duryodhana balaṃ yadi śaknoṣi dhāraya ||
rātrāv api hi yotsyante saṃrabdhāḥ kurusṛñjayāḥ ||
evam uktvā tataḥ prāyād droṇaḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayān ||
muṣṇan kṣatriyatejāṃsi nakṣatrāṇām ivāṃśumān ||
"Here I now enter into the ranks [of the foe], O destroyer of enemies, for a great battle, O king, wounded by you with word-darts. And you, Duryodhana, hold the army steady if you can; for even at night will the enraged Kurus and Srinjayas fight." Thus having spoken, Drona then set forth against the Pandavas and Srinjayas, stealing the splendor of the kshatriyas, as the sun [steals the splendor] of the stars.
db2d26fb99b0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:38 PM UTC
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Wounded but unbroken, Drona goes into battle, outshining all, like the sun outshining the stars: even the teacher going to his death is terrible above all others. It is telling that he foretells what is coming: "even at night will they fight" — the unprecedented night battle draws near. The verse teaches that even under a hail of unjust reproaches, the noble man carries out his duty to the end; and one who goes into his final battle not for revenge but from duty shines more terrible than all, though his time is already numbered.