Shloka 2
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! तदनन्तर युधिष्ठिरने द्रोणको अपने समीप आया देख एक निर्भय वीरकी भाँति बाणोंकी बड़ी भारी वर्षा करके उन्हें रोक दिया ।। ततो हलहलाशब्द आसीदू यौधिष्छिरे बले । जिघृक्षति महासिंहे गजानामिव यूथपम्,उस समय युधिष्ठिरकी सेनामें महान् कोलाहल मच गया। जैसे विशाल सिंह हाथियोंके यूथपतियोंको पकड़ना चाहता हो, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्य युधिष्ठिरको अपने काबूमें करना चाहते थे
sañjaya uvāca—rājan! tadanantaraṃ yudhiṣṭhiro droṇam ātmānam upasaṃkrāntam upalakṣya nirbhaya-vīra iva śarāṇāṃ mahāvarṣaṃ kṛtvā taṃ nyavārayat. tato halahalāśabda āsīd yudhiṣṭhire bale, jighṛkṣati mahāsiṃhe gajānām iva yūthapam.
Sanjaya said: “O King! Thereafter, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing Droṇa advancing toward him, checked him like a fearless warrior by unleashing a tremendous shower of arrows. Then a great tumult arose in Yudhiṣṭhira’s army. For Droṇa sought to seize Yudhiṣṭhira, as a mighty lion seeks to catch the leader of a herd of elephants.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: even a dharma-minded king like Yudhiṣṭhira must act decisively to protect himself and his army. It also underscores the ethical weight of leadership—capturing the commander (or king) can decide a battle, so both defense and offense focus on the leader’s responsibility and vulnerability.
Droṇa advances with the intent to seize Yudhiṣṭhira. Yudhiṣṭhira responds by releasing a heavy volley of arrows and halting Droṇa’s approach. The Pāṇḍava army erupts in loud commotion, and the text compares Droṇa’s intent to a lion trying to catch the chief of an elephant herd.