Shloka 17
Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)
निगृहीते नरश्रेष्ठे भारद्वाजेन माधव । सैन्धवस्य वधो न स्थान्ममाप्रीतिस्तथा भवेत्,“मधुवंशी वीर! यदि द्रोणाचार्यने नरश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरको कैद कर लिया तो सिन्धुराजका वध नहीं हो सकेगा और मुझे भी महान् दुःख होगा
nigṛhīte naraśreṣṭhe bhāradvājena mādhava | saindhavasya vadho na syān mamāprītis tathā bhavet ||
Sañjaya said: “O Mādhava, if the foremost of men (Yudhiṣṭhira) is seized by Bhāradvāja (Droṇa), then the slaying of Saindhava (Jayadratha) will not be possible—and in that event, great anguish will be mine as well.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a single ethical and strategic vulnerability—capturing a key leader—can derail a just objective in war. It underscores the interconnectedness of actions and consequences: protecting dharmic aims requires safeguarding those whose fall would collapse morale, coordination, and the possibility of fulfilling vows.
Sañjaya foresees that if Droṇa (Bhāradvāja) succeeds in capturing Yudhiṣṭhira (the ‘best of men’), the Pāṇḍavas’ plan to kill Jayadratha (Saindhava) will fail. He expresses that such an outcome would cause him deep distress, indicating the high stakes and the fragile dependence of the day’s objective on Yudhiṣṭhira’s safety.