Shloka 33
Droṇa’s Rebuke to Duryodhana after Jayadratha’s Fall (द्रोणेन दुर्योधनं प्रति प्रत्युक्तिः)
विराटद्रुपदौ षड़भि: शतेन च शिखण्डिनम्
virāṭa-drupadau ṣaḍbhiḥ śatena ca śikhaṇḍinam
Sañjaya dit : Virāṭa et Drupada, avec six cents autres, encerclèrent et pressèrent Śikhaṇḍin au plus fort de la mêlée—image de l’élan implacable de la guerre, où même des alliés illustres deviennent des cibles sous la contrainte morale de la violence de masse.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impersonal pressure of war: even eminent kings act as parts of a larger martial machine. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty versus the ethical cost of collective violence.
Sañjaya reports that Virāṭa and Drupada, along with a force numbering in the hundreds, engage or surround Śikhaṇḍin during the fighting, indicating a concentrated assault or close-quarters press in the battlefield.