Shloka 3
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
संजय उवाच तथा तेषु निवृत्तेषु प्रत्युद्यातेषु भागश: । स्वयमभ्यद्रवद् भीम॑ नागानीकेन ते सुत:,संजयने कहा--राजन्! इस प्रकार जब पाण्डव-सैनिक पृथक्-पृथक् युद्धके लिये लौटे और कौरव-योद्धा आगे बढ़कर सामना करनेके लिये उद्यत हुए, उस समय आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनने हाथियोंकी सेना साथ लेकर स्वयं ही भीमसेनपर आक्रमण किया
sañjaya uvāca tathā teṣu nivṛtteṣu pratyudyāteṣu bhāgaśaḥ | svayam abhyadravad bhīmaṃ nāgānīkena te sutaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, ketika pasukan Pāṇḍava telah berbalik dan maju kembali ke pertempuran dalam divisi-divisi terpisah, dan para kesatria Kaurava bergerak maju untuk menyongsong mereka, maka putramu Duryodhana sendiri menerjang Bhīmasena, didukung oleh satu batalion gajah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of kṣatriya leadership in war: a commander is expected to take personal responsibility and face danger directly, yet the same decisiveness can also manifest as rash aggression. It invites reflection on how power (here, an elephant corps) and personal valor should be guided by discernment and dharma rather than pride.
As the battle lines re-form—Pāṇḍava forces returning in separate divisions and Kauravas advancing to confront them—Duryodhana personally leads an elephant-backed assault against Bhīmasena, signaling an intensified, direct clash between prominent champions.