Shloka 12
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
के चैनं समरे वीरें प्रत्युद्ययुररिंदमा:
ke cainaṃ samare vīrān pratyudyayur ariṃdamāḥ
Sañjaya said: “And which heroes, in that battle, rose up to confront him—those subduers of enemies?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s ethical lens on warfare: valor is measured not merely by aggression but by the willingness to face a formidable opponent directly. It frames combat as a test of kṣatriya resolve and responsibility, while keeping the listener attentive to who acts with courage and discipline amid chaos.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, asks which warriors stepped forward on the battlefield to meet and challenge a particular fighter (“him”). The line functions as a transition, setting up the next description of the opposing heroes who confront that central combatant.