Shloka 266
Droṇa’s Rebuke to Duryodhana after Jayadratha’s Fall (द्रोणेन दुर्योधनं प्रति प्रत्युक्तिः)
कच्चिद् दुर्योधन: सूत नाकार्षीत् पृष्ठतो रणम् । धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--सूत! जब इस प्रकार सारी सेनाएँ भाग रही थीं, उस समय स्वयं भी वैसे संकटमें पड़े हुए दुर्योधनने क्या उस युद्धमें पीठ नहीं दिखायी?
kaccid duryodhanaḥ sūta nākārṣīt pṛṣṭhato raṇam |
Sanjaya said: “O charioteer, did Duryodhana truly not turn his back in battle? When all the armies were fleeing in that manner, did Duryodhana himself—caught in the same peril—avoid the disgrace of retreat?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the kṣatriya ethic of not ‘showing one’s back’ in battle—an ideal of steadfastness under danger. It probes whether Duryodhana upheld martial honor and leadership responsibility when panic spread through the ranks.
In the midst of a crisis where troops are fleeing, the speaker questions the conduct of Duryodhana: did he stand firm or did he retreat like the others? The inquiry highlights the moral scrutiny applied to a commander’s behavior during a rout.