Shloka 2
जयद्रथवध-प्रतिज्ञा
Arjuna’s Vow to Neutralize Jayadratha
उपोपविष्टा राजानं परिवार्य युधिष्ठिरम् । तदेव युद्ध ध्यायन्त: सौभद्रगतमानसा:,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! महापराक्रमी रथयूथपति सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युके मारे जानेपर समस्त पाण्डव महारथी रथ और कवचका त्याग कर और धनुषको नीचे डालकर राजा युधिष्ठिरको चारों ओरसे घेरकर उनके पास बैठ गये। उन सबका मन सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युमें ही लगा था और वे उसी युद्धका चिन्तन कर रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | upopaviṣṭā rājānaṃ parivārya yudhiṣṭhiram | tadeva yuddhaṃ dhyāyantaḥ saubhadra-gata-mānasāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Having gathered around King Yudhiṣṭhira, they sat down close by him. Their minds were fixed on Saubhadra (Abhimanyu), and they kept reflecting on that very battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical aftermath of violence: even righteous warriors must pause to reflect on loss. It underscores responsible leadership—Yudhiṣṭhira becomes the focal point for collective grief and deliberation—and shows how dharma in war includes accountability, mourning, and sober contemplation of consequences.
After Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) has been slain, the Pāṇḍava side gathers around King Yudhiṣṭhira and sits near him. Their attention is wholly fixed on Abhimanyu and on the battle that led to his death, indicating a moment of stunned reflection before further action.