Shloka 17
गजाश्वरथसंयुक्तो वृतश्चवैव पदातिभि: । दुर्योधनो महाराज प्रायात् तत्र महारथ:,महाराज! हाथी, घोड़े और रथोंकी सेनासे युक्त तथा पैदल सैनिकोंसे घिरा हुआ महारथी दुर्योधन भी रणभूमिसे भाग चला
gajāśvarathasaṃyukto vṛtaś caiva padātibhiḥ | duryodhano mahārāja prāyāt tatra mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, the great chariot-warrior Duryodhana too moved from there, supported by a force of elephants, horses, and chariots, and surrounded by infantry.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dependence of even a king and 'mahāratha' on collective military support; in war, authority and personal prowess function within the protection, organization, and solidarity of one’s forces—raising an implicit ethical contrast between personal ambition and the shared cost borne by many.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Duryodhana proceeds on the battlefield, accompanied by a combined contingent of elephants, horses, and chariots, and encircled by infantry—indicating a guarded movement amid ongoing combat.