Shloka 35
अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन
Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault
गौतमस्तु रणे क्रुद्धो द्रौषदेयान् महाबलान्
gautamastu raṇe kruddho drauṣadeyān mahābalān
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Gautama—his anger fully aroused—turned against the mighty sons of Draupadī. The line underscores how wrath on the battlefield drives even renowned warriors to fix their aim upon eminent opponents, intensifying the cycle of violence and retribution that marks the war’s moral tragedy.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how krodha (anger) becomes a decisive force in war, narrowing judgment and escalating destruction. Ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that uncontrolled wrath fuels cycles of retaliation, even among those bound by kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports that the warrior Gautama, enraged in the midst of combat, directs his aggression toward the powerful Draupadeyas (Draupadī’s sons), indicating a fierce engagement against prominent Pāṇḍava-aligned fighters.