Shloka 26
द्रोणानीक-व्यतिक्रमः — Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Break Through Droṇa’s Array
कर्णो भूरिश्रवा द्रौणिर्वषसेनश्व दुर्जय: । कृपश्च मद्रराजश्न षडेते5स्य पुरोगमा:,“कलके युद्धमें कर्ण, भूरिश्रवा, अश्वत्थामा, दुर्जय वीर वृषसेन, कृपाचार्य और मद्रराज शल्य--ये छः महारथी उसके आगे रहेंगे”
karṇo bhūriśravā drauṇir vṛṣasenaś ca durjayaḥ | kṛpaś ca madrarājaś ca ṣaḍ ete ’sya purogamāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Karṇa, Bhūriśravā, Aśvatthāmā, fils de Droṇa, le difficile à vaincre Vṛṣasena, Kṛpācārya et le roi de Madra, Śalya — ces six grands guerriers se tiendront à l’avant de lui dans la bataille.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of loyalty and leadership in war: renowned warriors deliberately take the foremost position as a vanguard, showing how collective commitment and strategic protection of a leader can drive the course of conflict—while also reminding readers that martial excellence is often bound to contested causes in the Mahābhārata.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield arrangement: six eminent Kaurava-aligned mahārathas—Karṇa, Bhūriśravā, Aśvatthāmā, Vṛṣasena, Kṛpa, and Śalya—will be positioned at the front (purogamāḥ) of the referenced commander, serving as the leading guard in the ongoing fighting of Droṇa Parva.