Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सा पुरस्ताच्च पश्चाच्च गृहीता भारती चमू: । तत्र कृत्यमहं मन्ये सैन्धवस्याभिरक्षणम्‌,इस समय कौरव-सेना आगे और पीछेसे भी शत्रुओंके आक्रमणका शिकार हो रही है। इस परिस्थितिमें मैं सबसे आवश्यक कार्य यही मानता हूँ कि सिंधुराज जयद्रथकी रक्षा की जाय

Transliteration

sā purastāc ca paścāc ca gṛhītā bhāratī camūḥ | tatra kṛtyam ahaṃ manye saindhavasya abhirakṣaṇam ||

Translation

Droṇa said: “The Bhārata host is being pressed—assailed from the front and from the rear. In such a crisis, I judge the most necessary duty to be this: the protection of the Sindhu king Jayadratha.”

Word by Word

साthat (she/it)

पुरस्तात्in front, from the front

चand

पश्चात्behind, from the rear

चand

गृहीताseized, taken

भारतीof the Bharatas (Kuru), Bharata-

चमूःarmy

तत्रthere, in that situation

कृत्यम्duty, necessary task

अहम्I

मन्येI think, I consider

सैन्धवस्यof the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)

अभिरक्षणम्protection, guarding

Speaker

द्रोण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Droṇa

Bhārata/Kaurava army (camūḥ)

Saindhava (Jayadratha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In a battlefield crisis, a commander must identify the most urgent kṛtya (necessary duty) and concentrate resources on it—here, safeguarding a key ally whose survival is strategically decisive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa observes that the Kaurava host is being attacked from both directions and concludes that the immediate priority is to protect Jayadratha (the Sindhu king), making his defense the central task at that moment.