Shloka 37
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
वृत्रहत्यै यथा देवा: परिवत्रु: पुरंदरम् । फिर तो भागे हुए पाण्डव-योद्धा लौट आये और युधिष्ठिरको वैसे ही घेरकर खड़े हो गये, जैसे वृत्रासुरके वधके लिये सब देवता इन्द्रको घेरकर खड़े हुए थे ।। ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा तव पुत्रस्य मारिष । शरं च सूर्यरश्म्याभमत्युग्रमनिवारणम्
vṛtrahatyai yathā devāḥ parivavruḥ purandaram | tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tava putrasya māriṣa | śaraṃ ca sūryaraśmyābham atyugram anivāraṇam ||
Sañjaya said: Just as the gods once surrounded Purandara (Indra) for the slaying of Vṛtra, so too the Pāṇḍava warriors—having turned back from flight—stood encircling King Yudhiṣṭhira. Then, O revered one, Yudhiṣṭhira, in the face of your son, took up an arrow blazing like the sun’s rays—exceedingly fierce and impossible to ward off—signaling a renewed resolve to stand and act rather than yield to fear.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical pivot from panic to steadfast duty: when fear causes retreat, righteous leadership and collective support can restore resolve. The divine analogy (gods aiding Indra) frames courage and coordinated action as necessary for confronting overwhelming threats.
The Pāṇḍava fighters, who had begun to flee, return and form a protective circle around Yudhiṣṭhira. Yudhiṣṭhira then prepares a blazing, irresistible arrow against the opposing side (addressed as ‘your son’), indicating the battle’s momentum shifting back toward determined engagement.