Shloka 2
अध्याय ५५ — भीष्मस्य प्रचण्डविक्रमः, अर्जुनप्रत्युत्तरं, कृष्णस्य चक्रोद्यतिः
Chapter 55: Bhīṣma’s onslaught, Arjuna’s counter, and Kṛṣṇa’s raised discus
आचार्यमुपसंगम्य कृपं शल्यं च पार्थिव । सौमदत्तिं विकर्ण च सो<श्वृत्थामानमेव च
ācāryam upasaṅgamya kṛpaṃ śalyaṃ ca pārthiva | saumadattiṃ vikarṇaṃ ca so ’śvatthāmānam eva ca ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, approaching the preceptor Droṇa, and also Kṛpa and Śalya, as well as Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas), Vikarṇa, and Aśvatthāmā, your son (Duryodhana) went among those foremost warriors. Seeing the formidable, seemingly impenetrable Krauñca battle-formation guarded by Arjuna of immeasurable splendor, he sought to hearten them with timely words—stirring their resolve for the coming clash.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, leaders actively shape outcomes not only through force but through counsel and morale. Duryodhana’s act of approaching senior warriors underscores reliance on experienced authority (ācārya, elders) and the strategic importance of timely speech—yet it also implicitly frames the moral tension of pursuing victory even when dharma is contested.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, seeing the formidable Krauñca formation protected by Arjuna, goes to key Kaurava champions—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, Bhūriśravas, Vikarṇa, and Aśvatthāmā—to encourage them and prepare them for the imminent engagement.