Mahabharata 7.21.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 2
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! तदनन्तर युधिष्ठिरने द्रोणको अपने समीप आया देख एक निर्भय वीरकी भाँति बाणोंकी बड़ी भारी वर्षा करके उन्हें रोक दिया ।।
sañjaya uvāca—rājan! tadanantaraṃ yudhiṣṭhiro droṇam ātmānam upasaṃkrāntam upalakṣya nirbhaya-vīra iva śarāṇāṃ mahāvarṣaṃ kṛtvā taṃ nyavārayat. tato halahalāśabda āsīd yudhiṣṭhire bale, jighṛkṣati mahāsiṃhe gajānām iva yūthapam.
Sañjaya said: “O King! Thereafter, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing Droṇa advancing toward him, checked him like a fearless warrior by unleashing a tremendous shower of arrows. Then a great tumult arose in Yudhiṣṭhira’s army, for Droṇācārya sought to seize Yudhiṣṭhira, as a mighty lion seeks to catch the leader of a herd of elephants.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: even a dharma-minded king like Yudhiṣṭhira must act decisively to protect himself and his army. It also underscores the ethical weight of leadership—capturing the commander (or king) can decide a battle, so both defense and offense focus on the leader’s responsibility and vulnerability.
Droṇa advances with the intent to seize Yudhiṣṭhira. Yudhiṣṭhira responds by releasing a heavy volley of arrows and halting Droṇa’s approach. The Pāṇḍava army erupts in loud commotion, and the text compares Droṇa’s intent to a lion trying to catch the chief of an elephant herd.
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