Shloka 33
कर्मणा सुनृशंसेन तस्य नाथो व्यवस्थित: । द्रपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्नने जिनपर आक्रमण करके अत्यन्त क्रूरतापूर्ण कर्मके द्वारा जिन्हें अनाथके समान मार डाला था, उन्हींका यह रक्षक या सहायक उठ खड़ा हुआ है || ३२६ || गुरु मे यत्र पाउचाल्य: केशपक्षे परामृशत्
karmaṇā sunṛśaṃsena tasya nātho vyavasthitaḥ | drupadakumāra dhṛṣṭadyumnena yenāparākrameṇa ākrāmya atyanta-krūratāpūrṇa-karmaṇā anāthavat nihato 'bhūt, tasyaiva eṣa rakṣitā sahāyakaḥ utthitaḥ | guru me yatra pāñcālyaḥ keśapakṣe parāmṛśat ||
Arjuna said: “By a deed of extreme cruelty he was left as though without a protector; yet now, for that very man, a guardian has risen and stands ready. It was Drupada’s son Dhrishtadyumna who, attacking with hostile force and committing a ruthlessly cruel act, struck him down as if he were helpless and unowned—yet now someone has come forward as his defender. And it was there that the Panchala prince seized my teacher by the hair.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: acts done with cruelty (sunṛśaṃsa karma) create moral outrage and calls for accountability, especially when they involve violating reverence owed to a teacher. It contrasts helplessness created by violence with the sudden appearance of a ‘protector,’ underscoring how alliances and retaliation can invert roles of victim and defended party.
Arjuna recalls the brutal killing/striking down carried out by Drupada’s son Dhrishtadyumna and emphasizes the indignity of the Panchala prince seizing Arjuna’s teacher (Drona) by the hair. He points out that despite such cruelty, a defender has now arisen for that very person, sharpening the sense of injustice and the emotional stakes in the Drona Parva conflict.