Saubhadra under Concentrated Assault; Pārṣata’s Intervention and Escalation
ततो दुर्योधनो राजन् भानुमन्तमचोदयत् । सैन्येन महता युक्त भारद्वाजस्य रक्षणे,महाराज! तब दुर्योधनने विशाल सेनासे युक्त भानुमानको द्रोणाचार्यकी रक्षाके कार्यमें नियुक्त किया
tato duryodhano rājan bhānumantam acodayat | sainyena mahatā yukta bhāradvājasya rakṣaṇe ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces, oh rey, Duryodhana instó a Bhānumān—respaldado por un gran contingente—a asumir la tarea de guardar al Bhāradvāja (Droṇa). En el fragor de la guerra, proteger al jefe se vuelve una prioridad decisiva, tanto táctica como moral.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights a wartime ethical-strategic principle: safeguarding a key leader (here, Droṇa) is treated as crucial to the army’s stability and success, showing how duty and strategy intertwine under the pressures of dharma-yuddha.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana assigns Bhānumān, backed by a large force, to protect Droṇa (called ‘Bhāradvāja’), indicating a deliberate protective formation around the commander.