Shloka 5
Droṇa’s Resolve to Restrain Yudhiṣṭhira and Arjuna’s Protective Vow (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरनिग्रह-प्रयत्नः)
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा कर्णदुःशासनादिशभि: । सम्मन्त्रयोवाच दुर्धर्षमाचार्य जयतां बरम्,तब राजा दुर्योधनने कर्ण, दःशासन आदिके साथ सलाह करके विजयी वीरोंमें श्रेष्ठ एवं दुर्जय आचार्य द्रोणसे इस प्रकार कहा--
tato duryodhano rājā karṇa-duḥśāsanādiśabhiḥ sammantryovāca durdharṣam ācāryaṃ jayatāṃ varam |
Sañjaya said: Then King Duryodhana, after consulting with Karṇa, Duḥśāsana, and the others, addressed the invincible preceptor Droṇa—foremost among victorious warriors—thus. The scene underscores how counsel among allies precedes decisive action in war, and how Duryodhana seeks strength through strategy and reliance on a formidable teacher, even as the moral weight of the conflict continues to deepen.
संजय उवाच