Shloka 10
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
(अद्याचार्यसुतो द्रौणि्नैंको युध्येत शत्रुभि: ।) अन्योन्यं परिरक्षद्धिय्योद्धव्यं सहितैश्न ह । एवं ते समयं कृत्वा सर्वे तत्र महारथा:
sañjaya uvāca | (adyācāryasuto drauṇir naiko yudhyeta śatrubhiḥ |) anyonyaṃ parirakṣadbhir yoddhavyaṃ sahitaiś ca na ha | evaṃ te samayaṃ kṛtvā sarve tatra mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „(Heute soll Droṇas Sohn, Drauṇi, nicht allein gegen die Feinde kämpfen.) Vielmehr sollen sie gemeinsam stehen, einander schützen und im Verbund kämpfen.“ Nachdem sie so diese Abmachung getroffen hatten, verpflichteten sich alle dort versammelten großen Wagenkrieger auf diesen Plan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes collective responsibility in battle: warriors should not let a key fighter stand isolated, but should coordinate, protect one another, and act as a unified force—an ethical and strategic ideal of solidarity among allies.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava great warriors make a pact for the day’s fighting: Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman) is not to engage the enemy alone; instead, they will fight together while mutually guarding one another.