उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
प्रविश्य विचरन्तं च रथे शूरमवस्थितम् । कथं द्रोणं महेष्वासं पाण्डवा: पर्यवारयन्,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! मेरी आज्ञाका उल्लंघन करनेवाले मेरे मूर्ख पुत्र दुर्योधनसे पूर्वोक्त बातें कहकर क्रोधमें भरे हुए बलवान् आचार्य द्रोणने जब वहाँ पाण्डव-सेनामें प्रवेश किया, उस समय रथपर बैठकर सेनाके भीतर प्रवेश करके सब ओर विचरते हुए महाधनुर्धर शूरवीर द्रोणाचार्यको पाण्डवोंने किस प्रकार रोका?
sañjaya uvāca |
praviśya vicarantaṃ ca rathe śūram avasthitam |
kathaṃ droṇaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ pāṇḍavāḥ paryavārayan ||
Sanjaya berkata: “Ketika Droṇa, sang pahlawan pemanah agung, duduk di atas keretanya dan menerobos masuk ke bala Pandawa serta bergerak ke segala arah di dalamnya, bagaimana para Pandawa menahan dan membendung pemanah besar itu?”
संजय उवाच
The verse frames a dharmic-ethical tension of war: even a revered teacher like Droṇa, when acting as a battlefield aggressor, must be met with disciplined restraint and collective strategy. It highlights that prowess (maheṣvāsa) demands an equally principled and coordinated response, not mere rage or chaos.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and introduces a key battlefield moment: Droṇa, mounted on his chariot, penetrates the Pandava formation and moves about striking within it. The question posed is how the Pandavas managed to surround, check, and contain him.