Shloka 56
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
श्लिष्ट च सर्वतश्नक्रू रथमण्डलमाशु ते
śliṣṭa ca sarvataś cakrū rathamaṇḍalam āśu te
Sañjaya dit : Alors, promptement et de toutes parts, ils se resserrèrent et formèrent un cercle de chars étroit—une manœuvre d’encerclement destinée à protéger les leurs et à presser l’ennemi au cœur du combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined coordination in war: collective action and ordered formation are portrayed as instruments of protection and pressure. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—skill and strategy can be executed with precision even amid a morally fraught conflict.
Sañjaya reports that the warriors rapidly arranged themselves into a circular chariot-formation (rathamaṇḍala), closing in from all directions—typically to defend key fighters or to surround an opponent during the battle.