Shloka 12
भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः
Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition
आशा बलवती राजन् सिन्धुराजस्य जीविते । द्रोणहार्दिक्ययो: कृष्णौ न मोक्ष्येते इति प्रभो,राजन! प्रभो! सब लोगोंको यह सोचकर कि श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन द्रोणाचार्य तथा कृतवर्मके हाथसे नहीं छूट सकेंगे, सिन्धुराजके जीवनकी आशा प्रबल हो उठी थी
āśā balavatī rājan sindhurājasya jīvite | droṇahārdikyayoḥ kṛṣṇau na mokṣyete iti prabho ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, the hope for the Sindhu king’s survival grew strong, for people believed, ‘Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna will not escape from Droṇa and Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman), O lord.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective belief and battlefield perception shape morale: when opponents assume great heroes cannot escape a trap, hope for a threatened ally’s survival intensifies. Ethically, it shows how war is driven not only by arms but by narratives, expectations, and psychological momentum.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava side’s confidence rose regarding Jayadratha’s survival because many thought Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna would be unable to get free from the pressure of Droṇa and Kṛtavarman.