Shloka 126
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
ससैन्यास्ते न्यवर्तन्त द्रोणमेव महाद्युतिम् महाधनुर्धर द्रौपदीकुमार तथा राक्षस घटोत्कच भी अपनी सेनाओंके साथ महातेजस्वी द्रोणाचार्यकी ही ओर लौट आये
sa-sainyās te nyavartanta droṇam eva mahā-dyutim | mahā-dhanuḥ-dharaḥ draupadī-kumāraḥ tathā rākṣasaḥ ghaṭotkacaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Lalu mereka, bersama pasukan masing-masing—putra Draupadī sang pemanah agung, dan rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca—berbalik lagi dan maju menuju Droṇācārya yang bercahaya perkasa itu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, decisive action often means confronting the central source of an enemy’s strength. Ethically, it points to the heavy responsibility of choosing targets and tactics: courage and strategy are inseparable from the moral burden of violence, especially when the opponent is a revered teacher and commander like Droṇa.
Sañjaya reports that the warriors—specifically Draupadī’s son (a great archer) and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca—along with their troops, turn back and move again toward Droṇa, focusing their effort on him as the key figure on the battlefield.