The enmity between King Drupada and Master Drona turns to conflict after Drona asks for his preceptor’s fee from his students- the capture of Drupada alive!
Though the Battle of Panchala is not as complicated as other battles - indeed the action hardly calls for diorama - however, for the first - and only - time the Pandavas and Kauravas take the field of battle as one force under General Drona.
From the lens of the modern reader, we see the revered teacher Drona exploit children soldiers to settle a grudge. In this story the shades of gray that afflict rotting social order are evident.
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The full story of Drupada and Drona’s rivalry is told in Sambhava.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/sambhava
(1) “Duryodhana, Karna, Yuyutsu, Dushasana, Vikarna, Jalasandha, Sulochana - these and many others entered the hostile capital and proceeded along its streets.”
(2) “At this the king of the Panchalas, Drupada, seeing the great army and hearing its roar, came out of the palace with all his brothers.”
(3) “Arjuna said to Drona, ‘We will wait our turn.’ Having said this, Arjuna and his brothers waited outside the city at a distance.”
(4) The citizens showered upon the Kurus clubs, maces and other missiles, like cloud’s showering rains. The Kurus broke and fled, wailing toward the Pandavas.
(5) Arjuna barked at Yudhishthira, “Stay out of the fight!” Then Arjuna raced off with the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) protecting his wheels.
(6) Bhima, ever in front, ran ahead with his club. Bhima entered the Panchala ranks like death, roaring as the ocean in a tempest. Upraising his club, Bhima attacked the soldiers riding on elephants. Those huge animals like mountains had their heads broken into pieces by Bhima’s club, shattered like cliffs loosened by thunder.
Drona spares Drupada after taking half his kingdom. Drupada’s prayers for sons that can defeat Drona are answered when he becomes father-in-law to Arjuna and the Pandavas. This story is told in Svayamvara https://crackpot.substack.com/t/svayamvara
The As It Rhymes translation of the Battle of Panchala is -
