Shloka 16
Abhimanyu-śravaṇa-prastāva and Cakravyūha-vinyāsa
Prelude to Abhimanyu’s Account and the Wheel-Formation Deployment
द्रोणेन व्याहते त्वेवे संशप्तकगणा: पुनः । आह्वयन्नर्जुनं संख्ये दक्षिणामभितो दिशम्,द्रोणाचार्यके ऐसा कहनेपर पुनः संशप्तकगणोंने दक्षिण दिशामें जा अर्जुनको युद्धके लिये ललकारा
droṇena vyāhate tv eva saṁśaptakagaṇāḥ punaḥ | āhvayann arjunaṁ saṅkhye dakṣiṇām abhito diśam ||
Sañjaya said: Even as Droṇa was thus engaged in combat, the band of the Saṁśaptakas once again challenged Arjuna on the battlefield, drawing him toward the southern quarter. The episode underscores a deliberate tactic of war: to distract a principal warrior from the main front by provoking him with a vowed, relentless enemy-host.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare tests dharma through strategy and steadfast vows: a vowed enemy-host can be used to divert a key protector, showing that ethical duty in war includes discernment—recognizing when a challenge is also a calculated distraction.
While Droṇa is actively fighting, the Saṁśaptakas again issue a direct battle-challenge to Arjuna and pull him toward the southern side of the field, aiming to separate him from the main engagement and reduce his influence elsewhere.