Shloka 5
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
एकादश समाख्याता अक्षौहिण्यश्न या मम । निदेशे तव तिष्ठन्ति मया सार्थ परंतप
sañjaya uvāca |
ekādaśa samākhyātā akṣauhiṇyaś ca yā mama |
nideśe tava tiṣṭhanti mayā sārdhaṃ parantapa |
kathayāmāsa durdharṣo viniḥśvasya punaḥ punaḥ |
Sañjaya sprach: „O Bezwinger der Feinde, die elf berühmten Akṣauhiṇīs, die mir gehören, stehen mitsamt mir unter deinem Befehl.“ Nachdem er dies gesagt hatte, stieß der schwer Bezwingbare (Duryodhana) beim Bericht über die Sache — seine Schmach und den Erfolg des Gegners — immer wieder tiefe Seufzer aus, als wolle er die Last der Führung und die moralische Verantwortung des kommenden Blutvergießens auf Bhīṣmas Autorität legen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and military strength are ethically weighty: Duryodhana, shaken by setback, seeks legitimacy and direction from Bhīṣma. It suggests that in war, authority is not merely strategic but also moral—leaders try to transfer or share responsibility for consequences through appeals to senior guardians of dharma.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, distressed and repeatedly sighing, approaches Bhīṣma and declares that his eleven renowned akṣauhiṇī armies stand ready under Bhīṣma’s command, while he recounts the troubling events that have undermined his confidence.