Shloka 3
Droṇa–Arjuna Yuddha; Trigarta-Āvaraṇa; Bhīmasena Gajānīka-bheda
Droṇa and Arjuna Engage; Trigarta Containment; Bhīma Breaks the Elephant Corps
अब्रवीच्च तदा राजन् भीष्म कुरुपितामहम्
sañjaya uvāca | abravīc ca tadā rājan bhīṣmaṁ kurupitāmaham, kathayāmāsa durdharṣo viniḥśvasya punaḥ punaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, at that time Duryodhana spoke to Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus. The hard-to-subdue prince, heaving deep sighs again and again, recounted everything as it had happened—how he could not bear the humiliation of his defeat at the hands of a fearsome foe in that great battle. Having approached Bhīṣma with deference and bowed, he narrated the full account, and then addressed the aged patriarch: ‘Lord, just as my enemies fight relying on Vāsudeva’s son, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so too have I undertaken this dreadful war against the Pāṇḍavas relying only on you.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical psychology of war: pride wounded by defeat seeks validation and support from authority. It contrasts reliance on righteous counsel and divine-aligned guidance (the Pāṇḍavas’ dependence on Kṛṣṇa) with reliance on mere power or seniority (Duryodhana’s dependence on Bhīṣma), implying that the quality of one’s refuge—dharma-aligned or ego-driven—shapes outcomes.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, distressed and repeatedly sighing after a setback, goes to Bhīṣma, bows respectfully, and narrates the events. He then tells Bhīṣma that just as the Pāṇḍavas fight supported by Kṛṣṇa, he is waging the war relying on Bhīṣma alone.