Shloka 3
दुर्योधन–द्रोणसंवादः
Arjuna-vīrya-prasaṃśā and renewed battle formation
पज्चालैर्मत्स्यकैकेयै: पाण्डवैश्व महारथै: । वृतान् समन्तात् संक्ुद्धै्नि:श्वसद्धिरिवोरगै:
pañcālair matsyakaikeyaiḥ pāṇḍavaiś ca mahārathaiḥ | vṛtān samantāt saṅkruddhair niḥśvasadbhir ivoragaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: They were hemmed in on every side by the Pañcālas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pāṇḍavas—mighty chariot-warriors—who, inflamed with wrath, seemed like serpents hissing as they closed in.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wrath intensifies the appearance and conduct of warriors: even righteous allies, when seized by anger, can seem as perilous as hissing serpents. It implicitly cautions that anger is a powerful force in war—effective for resolve, but ethically dangerous if it overwhelms restraint.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where a group (implied opponents) is surrounded on all sides by allied forces of the Pāṇḍavas—Pañcālas, Matsyas, Kaikeyas, and other great chariot-fighters—who close in angrily, compared to serpents hissing around their prey.