Shloka 7
द्रोणपर्व — द्विनवति-तमोऽध्यायः
Sātyaki Pressed by Kauravas; Duryodhana and Kṛtavarmā Engagements
नागानीकेन महता ग्रसन्निव महीमिमाम् | दुःशासनो महाराज सव्यसाचिनमावृणोत्,महाराज! दुःशासनने अपनी विशाल गजसेनाद्वारा अर्जुनको इस प्रकार चारों ओरसे घेर लिया, मानो वह सारी पृथ्वीको ग्रस लेनेके लिये उद्यत हो
nāgānīkena mahatā grasann iva mahīm imām | duḥśāsano mahārāja savyasācinam āvṛṇot ||
Sañjaya said: O King, with a vast elephant-corps, Duḥśāsana surrounded Savyasācin (Arjuna), as though he were about to swallow up the very earth.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma in war often relies on intimidation and numerical or material superiority (here, an elephant-corps) to crush a principled opponent; it invites reflection on the ethics of combat and the contrast between brute force and steadfast valor.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duḥśāsana deploys a massive elephant formation to encircle Arjuna, creating a suffocating, earth-devouring image of siege and pressure on the battlefield.