Shloka 38
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय 128: दुर्योधनस्य परसेनाप्रवेशः
Duryodhana’s Incursion and the Tumult of Battle
यं भयेष्वभिगच्छन्ति सहस्राक्षमिवामरा: । स शूर: सैन्धवप्रेप्सुरन्वयाद् भारतीं चमूम्,“उसके मारे जानेपर स्वयं भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण ही युद्ध कर रहे हैं। जिस शक्तिशाली वीरके पराक्रमका भरोसा करके हम समस्त पाण्डव जी रहे हैं, भयके अवसरोंपर हम उसी प्रकार जिसका आश्रय लेते हैं, जैसे देवता देवराज इन्द्रका, वही शूरवीर अर्जुन सिंधुराज जयद्रथको अपने वशमें करनेके लिये कौरव-सेनामें घुसा है
yaṃ bhayeṣv abhigacchanti sahasrākṣam ivāmarāḥ | sa śūraḥ saindhavaprepsur anvayād bhāratīṃ camūm ||
Sañjaya said: “He whom we approach in moments of peril, just as the immortals resort to Sahasrākṣa (Indra), that very heroic Arjuna—seeking to seize the Sindhu-king Jayadratha—has pressed forward and entered the Bharata host (the Kaurava army).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical psychology of reliance: in crisis, a community instinctively seeks its most trusted protector. By comparing Arjuna to Indra—refuge of the gods—it underscores the moral weight of a champion’s responsibility and the collective dependence placed upon proven valor in a dharma-laden conflict.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, the Pandavas’ chief reliance in danger, has surged into the Kaurava formation with the specific aim of capturing or overpowering Jayadratha (the Sindhu-king), a pivotal target in the day’s battle.