Shloka 43
उत्सृज्य समरे राजन् पाण्डवं सव्यसाचिनम् । अभ्यद्रवत पाज्चाल्यं द्रुपदं सेनया वृतम्
utsṛjya samare rājan pāṇḍavaṁ savyasācinam | abhyadravat pāñcālyaṁ drupadaṁ senayā vṛtam ||
Sañjaya said: O King, leaving aside the Pāṇḍava Arjuna, the ambidextrous archer, he charged in the midst of battle toward Drupada of the Pāñcālas, who was surrounded by his army. The verse highlights a tactical shift in combat—turning from a foremost warrior to strike at a protected king—raising the ethical tension between battlefield strategy and the targeting of leaders amid their troops.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, choices are often strategic rather than purely personal: a fighter may disengage from a famed opponent and instead move against a protected leader. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—courage and effectiveness in battle—while also exposing the ethical strain of directing violence toward kings and command structures.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combatant (implied from context) stops pressing Arjuna and instead charges toward Drupada, the Pāñcāla king, even though Drupada is ringed by his troops—signaling a deliberate shift of attack to another key figure on the battlefield.