Shloka 42
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
तैरविमुक्तो रथो रेजे वाय्वीरित इवाम्बुद: । जयद्रथस्य गोप्तारस्तत: क्षुब्धा: सहानुगा:,उनके घेरेसे मुक्त हुआ अर्जुनका रथ वायुसंचालित मेघके समान शोभा पाने लगा। इससे जयद्रथके रक्षक सेवकोंसहित क्षुब्ध हो उठे
tair avimukto ratho reje vāyvīrita ivāmbudaḥ | jayadrathasya goptāras tataḥ kṣubdhāḥ sahānugāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Released from their encirclement, Arjuna’s chariot shone forth like a cloud driven by the wind. Seeing this, Jayadratha’s protectors—along with their followers—were shaken and stirred into agitation, for the defense they relied upon had been broken.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a decisive breakthrough can reverse morale: when steadfast effort and skill dissolve an opponent’s protective formation, the defenders’ confidence collapses into agitation. Ethically, it underscores the battlefield reality that reliance on external protection is fragile when confronted by resolute prowess and clear purpose.
Arjuna’s chariot escapes the enemy’s surrounding cordon. As it emerges and moves with renewed force—compared to a wind-driven cloud—Jayadratha’s guarding warriors and their followers become alarmed and unsettled, realizing their defensive screen has failed.