Shloka 40
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
तमेकाकिनमासाद्य धार्तराष्ट्र महाबलम् । वियूथमिव मातज्ूुं समहृष्यन्त पाण्डवा:
tam ekākinam āsādya dhārtarāṣṭraṁ mahābalam | viyūtham iva mātaṅgaṁ samahṛṣyanta pāṇḍavāḥ ||
Sanjaya said: When the Pandavas came upon the mighty son of Dhritarashtra standing alone, they were filled with joy—like hunters who, spotting a great elephant separated from its herd, feel sudden elation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, advantage is often perceived when a powerful opponent is isolated; it also implicitly shows the ethical tragedy of the Kurukṣetra conflict—relatives exulting at a moment of vulnerability in one of their own, because duty and survival have overridden familial bonds.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍavas encounter Duryodhana (the mighty son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) arriving alone, and they become delighted, comparing him to a great elephant separated from its herd—an image suggesting both his strength and his exposed, vulnerable position.