Shloka 10
Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)
(एवं बहुसहसैश्व योधानां युद्धशालिनाम् । संवृत: शकुनिस्तस्थौ युद्धायैव सुदंशित: ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
evaṁ bahusahasraiś ca yodhānāṁ yuddhaśālinām |
saṁvṛtaḥ śakunir tasthau yuddhāyaiva sudaṁśitaḥ ||
nakulaṁ sahadevaṁ ca dharmarājaṁ ca pāṇḍavam |
nyavārayann araśreṣṭhān parivārya samantataḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Thus, surrounded by many thousands of warriors who shone on the field of battle, Shakuni stood firm, fully armed and intent only on fighting. O King, hemming them in from every side, Shakuni checked the advance of the foremost men—Nakula, Sahadeva, and the Pandava king of dharma, Yudhishthira—seeking to obstruct their movement amid the press of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, tactical force and encirclement can temporarily restrain even the foremost and dharma-aligned leaders. Ethically, it underscores the tension between dharma (represented by Dharmaraja Yudhishthira) and the harsh mechanics of battle where strategy and numbers can impede righteous aims.
Sanjaya reports that Shakuni, heavily armed and backed by thousands of battle-ready warriors, takes position and surrounds the Pandava leaders—Nakula, Sahadeva, and Yudhishthira—blocking their forward movement by encircling them from all sides.