Shloka 363
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
सरो हंसा इवापेतुर्घ्नन्तो द्रोणरथं प्रति । तदनन्तर अपनी भुजाओंसे सुशोभित होनेवाले पाण्डव सेनापतिकी आज्ञाका पालन करनेके लिये वहाँ द्रोणाचार्यके रथपर प्रहार करते हुए उसी प्रकार टूट पड़े, जैसे बहुत-से हंस किसी सरोवरपर सब ओरसे उड़कर आते हैं
saro-haṃsā ivāpetur ghnanto droṇa-rathaṃ prati | tad-anantaraṃ pāṇḍava-senāpaty-ājñāṃ pālayituṃ tatra droṇācārya-rathe prahārān kurvantaḥ samantād nipetuḥ, yathā bahavo haṃsāḥ sarasi samantād uḍḍīya samāgacchanti |
Sañjaya said: Like swans converging upon a lake from every side, the warriors rushed in and struck at Droṇa’s chariot. Immediately thereafter, to carry out the command of the Pāṇḍava commander—whose arms were famed for their strength and splendor—they fell upon Droṇācārya’s car with repeated blows, surrounding it from all directions. The image underscores disciplined obedience to leadership amid the moral strain of war, where even revered elders become targets in the press of duty and strategy.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined execution of duty in war: warriors act in coordinated obedience to their commander’s order, even when the target is a venerable teacher like Droṇa. It points to the ethical tension of kṣatriya-duty—strategy and loyalty to one’s side can compel actions against respected elders.
Sañjaya describes a coordinated assault on Droṇa’s chariot. The attackers converge from all directions, compared to swans flying in toward a lake, and they strike repeatedly in order to fulfill the Pāṇḍava commander’s command.