Shloka 7
Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)
सुनामा रणविक्रान्त: समग्राक्षीहिणीपति: । भोजराजस्य मध्यस्थो भ्राता कंसस्य वीर्यवान्
sunāmā raṇavikrāntaḥ samagrākṣīhiṇīpatiḥ | bhojarājasya madhyastho bhrātā kaṁsasya vīryavān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “There was Sunāmā—valiant in battle, commander of a complete army-division, a trusted intermediary of the Bhoja king, and the mighty brother of Kaṁsa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial power is intertwined with political roles and kinship: a warrior is identified not only by battlefield valor and command, but also by diplomatic position (madhyastha) and family ties, which shape loyalties and responsibilities in dharma-bound conflict.
Vaiśampāyana introduces or identifies the warrior Sunāmā by listing his credentials—his battle prowess, his command over a full akṣauhiṇī, his role as an intermediary connected to the Bhoja king, and his relation as Kaṁsa’s brother—situating him within the war’s network of leaders and affiliations.