Mahabharata 7.167.5 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 167, Shloka 5
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
कृतवर्मा तु हार्दिक्यो युधिष्िरमुपाद्रवत् । द्रोणं प्रति समायान्तं मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्
kṛtavarmā tu hārdikyo yudhiṣṭhiram upādravat | droṇaṃ prati samāyāntaṃ matto mattam iva dvipam ||
Sañjaya dit : «Hārdikya Kṛtavarmā se rua pour arrêter Yudhiṣṭhira, qui chargeait vers Droṇa—tel un éléphant en rut et furieux se jetant sur un autre éléphant en rut.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma as role-based duty: when an opponent charges, a warrior may be bound to intercept and restrain him for the protection of his commander and army. It also uses the elephant simile to convey how passion and momentum can overtake deliberation in war.
Yudhiṣṭhira advances aggressively toward Droṇa. Seeing this, Kṛtavarmā (son of Hṛdika) rushes forward to block or engage Yudhiṣṭhira, likened to one maddened elephant attacking another.
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