Shloka 36
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
'सेनाके प्रमुख भागमें हाहाकार और किलकिलाहटके शब्द सुनायी देते हैं। तुम द्रपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्मका सामना करनेके लिये जाओ और मैं युधिष्ठिरपर चढ़ाई करूँगा ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
senāke pramukha bhāgameṃ hāhākāra aura kilakilāhaṭake śabda sunāyī dete haiṃ | tuma drapadakumāra dhṛṣṭadyummakā sāmānā karane ke liye jāo aura maiṃ yudhiṣṭhirapara caṛhāī karūṃ ||
durgamaṃ hy antaraṃ rājño vyūhasyāmitatejasaḥ |
samudrakukṣipratimaṃ sarvato ’tirathaiḥ sthitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “From the foremost part of the army, cries of alarm and loud battle-shouts are being heard. Go and confront Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Drupada, and I will press the attack against Yudhiṣṭhira. For the inner space of the mighty king’s battle-array is exceedingly hard to penetrate—like entering the belly of the ocean—since it is ringed on every side by great chariot-warriors.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical weight of leadership in war: a righteous king’s position is protected not merely by force but by disciplined order and loyal guardianship. It also underscores prudence—recognizing when an objective is ‘durgama’ (hard to penetrate) and requires strategy rather than reckless assault.
Sañjaya reports intense noise and turmoil at the front. A commander issues tactical instructions: one warrior should engage Dhṛṣṭadyumna, while the speaker intends to attack Yudhiṣṭhira. Yet Yudhiṣṭhira’s formation is described as extremely difficult to enter, surrounded on all sides by elite chariot-fighters, likened to entering the ocean’s depths.