Shloka 90
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
ते प्रतिज्ञाप्रतीघातमिच्छन्त: सव्यसाचिन: । सहितास्तावकास्तूर्णमभिपेतुर्धन॑ंजयम्,यह देख सव्यसाची अर्जुनकी प्रतिज्ञाको भंग करनेकी अभिलाषासे आपके वे सभी सैनिक एक साथ संगठित हो तुरंत उनपर टूट पड़े
te pratijñā-pratīghātam icchantaḥ savyasācinaḥ | sahitās tāvakās tūrṇam abhipetur dhanañjayam ||
Sañjaya said: Wishing to thwart the vow of Savyasācin (Arjuna), all your warriors, gathered together, rushed swiftly to assail Dhanañjaya. The scene underscores how, in war, opponents often aim not only at bodily defeat but at breaking a hero’s pledged word—an attack on resolve and honor as much as on arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a pratijñā (vow) in the epic: to break or obstruct a vowed commitment is treated as an assault on a warrior’s honor and moral resolve, not merely a tactical move. It reflects how dharma in the Mahābhārata is intertwined with truthfulness, steadfastness, and the social power of pledged words.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces, acting together, quickly charge Arjuna. Their intent is specifically to prevent him from fulfilling a vow he has undertaken, so the attack is coordinated and urgent.