Shloka 31
Śaineya–Bhūriśravas: Genealogy, Svayaṃvara Contest, and the Maheśvara Boon
अभिद्रवत गृह्नीत हयान् द्रोणस्प धावत | इति सम चुक्रुशु: सर्वे राजपुत्रा: सराजका:,उस समय समस्त राजा और राजकुमार पुकार-पुकारकर कहने लगे--“अरे! दौड़ो दौड़ो! द्रोणाचार्यके घोड़ोंको पकड़ो”
abhidravata gṛhṇīta hayān droṇasya dhāvata | iti sma cukruśuḥ sarve rājaputrāḥ sa-rājakāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then all the princes, along with their kings, cried out repeatedly, “Charge! Run! Seize Droṇa’s horses!” In the press of battle, their urgent command reveals a tactical and moral calculus: to check a formidable teacher-warrior not by direct slaughter alone, but by disabling his mobility and momentum—an expedient born of fear, necessity, and the ruthless logic of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, opponents often seek to neutralize a superior force through practical means—here, by capturing the horses—showing the tension between ideal dharma and battlefield necessity, where urgency and survival drive tactical choices.
As Droṇa advances powerfully in battle, the assembled kings and princes shout orders to rush forward and seize his horses, aiming to halt or weaken his assault by stopping his chariot’s movement.