Shloka 13
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
प्रतिविन्ध्यमथायान्तं मयूरसदृशै्हयै: । दुःशासनो महाराज यत्तो यत्तमवारयत्,राजन! सैकड़ों मायाओंके प्रयोगमें कुशल भीमसेन-कुमार राक्षस घटोत्कचको आते देख अभश्वत्थामाने रोका ।। ट्रुपदं वृषसेनस्तु ससैन्यं सपदानुगम् । वारयामास समरे द्रोणप्रेप्सुं महारथम् समरांगणमें द्रोणको पराजित करनेकी इच्छावाले सेना और सेवकोंसहित महारथी द्रपदको वृषसेनने रोका
sañjaya uvāca |
prativindhyam athāyāntaṃ mayūrasadṛśair hayaiḥ |
duḥśāsano mahārāja yatto yattam avārayat ||
trupadaṃ vṛṣasenastu sasainyaṃ sapadānugam |
vārayāmāsa samare droṇaprepsuṃ mahāratham ||
Sanjaya said: O great king, as Prativindhya advanced, drawn by horses splendid as peacocks, Duḥśāsana repeatedly checked him wherever he turned. Meanwhile, in the thick of battle, Vṛṣasena held back the great chariot-warrior Drupada—who had come with his troops and attendants, intent on bringing down Droṇa. The scene underscores the relentless counter-moves of war: each fighter’s vow and purpose is met by an opposing restraint, turning personal enmities and strategic aims into a chain of ethical tests under the pressure of dharma and duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous cause, action unfolds amid resistance: vows, intentions, and duties are continually tested by opposing forces. The verse highlights how warfare becomes a sequence of ethical pressures—steadfastness, restraint, and responsibility—rather than a simple pursuit of personal aims.
Prativindhya advances with splendid horses, but Duḥśāsana repeatedly blocks his movement. At the same time, Vṛṣasena confronts and restrains Drupada, who has come with troops and attendants determined to defeat Droṇa.