Shloka 17
द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां यमौ सार्थ रथाभ्यां रथपुड़्वौ । समासक्तौ ततो द्रोणं धृष्टद्युम्नो 5 भ्यवर्तत,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ नकुल और सहदेव दो-दो कौरव रथियोंके साथ जूझने लगे। इतनेहीमें धृष्टद्युम्न द्रोणाचार्यके सामने जा पहुँचे
dvābhyāṁ dvābhyāṁ yamau sārtha rathābhyāṁ rathapuṅgavau | samāsaktau tato droṇaṁ dhṛṣṭadyumno 'bhyavartata ||
Sañjaya said: The twin brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva—foremost among chariot-warriors—engaged the Kaurava fighters two by two, each pair meeting them in chariot-combat. Meanwhile, Dhṛṣṭadyumna pressed forward and came face to face with Droṇācārya, driving the battle toward its decisive and morally charged confrontation between teacher and opposing commander.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined engagement in one’s assigned role (kṣatriya-duty) and the ethical weight of confronting revered figures in war. It frames battle not as chaos but as ordered responsibility—pairs matched, commanders advancing—while foreshadowing the moral tension of opposing a teacher like Droṇa.
Nakula and Sahadeva, the twin Pāṇḍavas, are fighting Kaurava chariot-warriors in paired engagements. At the same time, Dhṛṣṭadyumna advances directly toward Droṇa, setting up a major confrontation central to the Drona Parva’s unfolding events.