Shloka 21
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
चक्ररक्षौ तु भीमस्य माद्रीपुत्रौ महाद्युतौ | द्रौपदेया: ससौभद्रा: पृष्ठगोपास्तरस्विन:
sañjaya uvāca |
chakra-rakṣau tu bhīmasya mādrī-putrau mahā-dyutau |
draupadeyāḥ sa-saubhadraḥ pṛṣṭha-gopās tarasvinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The two radiant sons of Mādrī—Nakula and Sahadeva—were guarding the wheels of Bhīma’s chariot, ensuring his advance was not checked or dishonoured. Behind him, the sons of Draupadī, together with Saubhadra (Abhimanyu), swift in onset, protected his rear—an ordered formation expressing disciplined duty and mutual protection amid the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, dharma is expressed through disciplined responsibility: protecting comrades, maintaining order, and acting as a coordinated unit rather than pursuing isolated glory.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s protective formation: Nakula and Sahadeva guard the chariot wheels (preventing immobilization or tactical vulnerability), while Draupadī’s sons and Abhimanyu secure the rear as a swift rear-guard.