Shloka 17
भारद्वाजं जिघांसन्तौ सव्यसाचिवृकोदरौ । समार्च्छन् मामका युद्धे कं संजय शंस मे,संजय! द्रोणाचार्यको मार डालनेकी इच्छावाले अर्जुन और भीमसेनपर युद्धस्थलमें मेरे सैनिकोंने किस प्रकार आक्रमण किया? यह मुझे बताओ
bhāradvājaṃ jighāṃsantau savyasācī-vṛkodarau | samārcchan māmākā yuddhe kaṃ saṃjaya śaṃsa me, saṃjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “When Arjuna (the ambidextrous archer) and Bhīma (the wolf-bellied), intent on slaying Bhāradvāja’s son Droṇa, advanced in battle, how did my warriors assail them? Tell me, Sañjaya.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral strain of war where even revered figures become targets; it frames the conflict as a test of dharma under extreme necessity, while also showing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxious attachment to ‘my troops’ and his dependence on truthful narration to face consequences.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to describe how the Kaurava forces attacked Arjuna and Bhīma as they advanced with the intention of killing Droṇa, the great commander and teacher, on the battlefield.