Shloka 5
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
कृतवर्मा तु हार्दिक्यो युधिष्िरमुपाद्रवत् । द्रोणं प्रति समायान्तं मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्,जैसे मतवाला हाथी किसी मतवाले हाथीपर आक्रमण कर रहा हो, उसी प्रकार युधिष्ठिरको द्रोणाचार्यपर धावा करते देख हृदिकपुत्र कृतवर्माने आगे बढ़कर उन्हें रोका
kṛtavarmā tu hārdikyo yudhiṣṭhiram upādravat | droṇaṃ prati samāyāntaṃ matto mattam iva dvipam ||
Sañjaya said: Hārdikya Kṛtavarmā rushed to check Yudhiṣṭhira, who was charging toward Droṇa—like a maddened elephant surging against another maddened elephant.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma as role-based duty: when an opponent charges, a warrior may be bound to intercept and restrain him for the protection of his commander and army. It also uses the elephant simile to convey how passion and momentum can overtake deliberation in war.
Yudhiṣṭhira advances aggressively toward Droṇa. Seeing this, Kṛtavarmā (son of Hṛdika) rushes forward to block or engage Yudhiṣṭhira, likened to one maddened elephant attacking another.