Shloka 16
धर्मराजस्य चिन्ता, भीमसेनप्रेषणम्, द्रोणानीकप्रवेशप्रयत्नः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Anxiety and the Dispatch of Bhīma; Attempted Breakthrough into Droṇa’s Formation
स ताल्लब्धोदकान् स्नातान् जग्धान्नान् विगतक््लमान् | योजयामास संदृष्ट: पुनरेव रथोत्तमे,श्रीकृष्णने पानी पिलाकर उन्हें नहलाया, घास और दाने खिलाये तथा जब उनकी सारी थकावट दूर हो गयी, तब पुनः उस उत्तम रथमें उन्हें बड़ी प्रसन्नताके साथ जोत दिया
sa tāl labdhodakān snātān jagdhānnān vigataklamān | yojayāmāsa saṃdṛṣṭaḥ punar eva rathottame ||
Sañjaya said: Having seen that the horses had obtained water, been bathed, eaten their fodder and grain, and were freed from fatigue, he yoked them once again—gladly—to that excellent chariot. The passage highlights attentive stewardship even amid war: care for dependents and instruments of duty is itself part of righteous conduct.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the urgency of battle, dharma includes responsible care for those who serve—animals, attendants, and tools of action. Proper duty is not only fighting, but also sustaining life and strength without cruelty or neglect.
After ensuring the horses are watered, bathed, and fed and their exhaustion has passed, they are harnessed again to the excellent chariot so the warriors can resume movement and combat.