Shloka 1
जयद्रथविमोचन–पलायनवृत्तान्तः
Recovery of Draupadī and Jayadratha’s flight
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! तदनन्तर महाथनुर्धर कर्णने अपनी विशाल सेनाके साथ जाकर राजा द्रुपदके रमणीय नगरको चारों ओरसे घेर लिया
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—Bharataśreṣṭha Janamejaya! tad-anantaram mahā-dhanurdharaḥ Karṇaḥ svayā vipulā senayā gatvā rājñaḥ Drupadasya ramaṇīyaṃ nagaraṃ sarvataḥ paryaveṣṭayat.
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janamejaya, best of the Bharatas! Thereafter, Karṇa—the mighty archer—advanced with his vast army and surrounded King Drupada’s delightful city on all sides.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in kṣatriya politics: military excellence and strategic action (a siege) can be effective, yet they raise questions about dharma—when force is justified, how war should be conducted, and what responsibilities rulers and warriors bear toward those they threaten.
After the preceding events, Karṇa marches with a large force to King Drupada’s city and encircles it on all sides, initiating a siege and escalating the conflict.