Shloka 43
अश्वत्थामा कृपश्चैव स्वयमेव च सैन्धव: । संनद्धा: सैन्धवस्यार्थे समावृण्वन् किरीटिनम्,दुर्योधन, कर्ण, वृषसेन, मद्रराज शल्य, अअश्व॒त्थामा, कृपाचार्य तथा स्वयं सिंधुराज जयद्रथ--इन सबने जयद्रथकी रक्षाके लिये संनद्ध होकर किरीटधारी अर्जुनको सब ओरसे घेर लिया
sañjaya uvāca |
aśvatthāmā kṛpaś caiva svayam eva ca saindhavaḥ |
saṃnaddhāḥ saindhavasyārthe samāvṛṇvan kirīṭinam ||
Sañjaya said: Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, and Saindhava (Jayadratha) himself—armed and fully prepared for battle—closed in around the diadem-wearing Arjuna on every side, determined to protect Saindhava. The scene underscores how, in war, loyalty to one’s ally can harden into collective resolve, even when it serves a cause opposed to righteousness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective loyalty and strategic unity can become powerful forces in war; ethically, it invites reflection on whether protecting an ally is still dharmic when the ally’s cause is tied to adharma, showing the tension between personal bonds and righteousness.
Sanjaya reports that Ashvatthama, Kripa, and Jayadratha himself arm up and surround Arjuna from all sides, forming a protective ring to prevent Arjuna from reaching or defeating Jayadratha.