पाञ्चालानां ततो द्रोणो ऽप्य् अकरोत् कदनं महत् ॥
यथा क्रुद्धो रणे शक्रो दानवानां क्षयं पुरा ॥
द्रोणास्त्रेण महाराज वध्यमानाः परे युधि ॥
नात्रसन्त रणे द्रोणात् सत्त्ववन्तो महारथाः ॥
वध्यमाना महाराज पाञ्चालाः सृञ्जयास् तथा ॥
द्रोणम् एवाभ्ययुर् युद्धे मोहयन्तो महारथम् ॥
तेषां तूत्साद्यमानानां पाञ्चालानां समन्ततः ॥
अभवद् भैरवो नादो वध्यतां शरशक्तिभिः ॥
pāñcālānāṃ tato droṇo 'py akarot kadanaṃ mahat ||
yathā kruddho raṇe śakro dānavānāṃ kṣayaṃ purā ||
droṇāstreṇa mahārāja vadhyamānāḥ pare yudhi ||
nātrasanta raṇe droṇāt sattvavanto mahārathāḥ ||
vadhyamānā mahārāja pāñcālāḥ sṛñjayās tathā ||
droṇam evābhyayur yuddhe mohayanto mahāratham ||
teṣāṃ tūtsādyamānānāṃ pāñcālānāṃ samantataḥ ||
abhavad bhairavo nādo vadhyatāṃ śaraśaktibhiḥ ||
Then Drona wrought great slaughter upon the Panchalas, as the enraged Shakra wrought destruction upon the Danavas of old. By the weapon of Drona, O great king, the enemies, being slain in battle, the courageous great warriors, did not fear Drona in battle. Being slain, O great king, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas went against Drona in battle, pressing hard upon the great warrior. And as they, the Panchalas, were being destroyed on every side, there arose a fearsome roar of those being slain by arrows and spears.
81d14df8b19f · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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The Panchalas, perishing before Drona, still "fear him not" and advance upon him: courage does not retreat before certain death. It is telling that the slain advance, pressing the formidable teacher by sheer number and persistence. The verse teaches that fearlessness before an evidently superior foe is the highest valor; and one who advances upon the unconquerable, knowing the cost, has already conquered by not flinching -- even should he perish.