Shloka 4
द्रोणानीकाभिमुखगमनम्
Abhimanyu advances toward Droṇa’s host
युधामन्युश्न विक्रान्त: शिखण्डी चापराजित: । उत्तमौजाश्र दुर्धर्षो विराटश्व॒ महारथ:,सात्यकि, चेकितान, द्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्न, पराक्रमी कुन्तिभोज, महारथी द्रुपद, अभिमन्यु, क्षत्रधर्मा, शक्तिशाली बृहत्क्षत्र, चेदिराज धृष्टकेतु, माद्रीकुमार नकुल-सहदेव, घटोत्कच, पराक्रमी युधामन्यु, किसीसे परास्त न होनेवाला वीर शिखण्डी, दुर्धर्षवीर उत्तमौजा, महारथी विराट, क्रोधमें भरे हुए द्रौपदीपुत्र, बलवान् शिशुपालकुमार, महापराक्रमी केकयराजकुमार तथा सहस्रों सूंजयवंशी क्षत्रिय--ये तथा और भी अस्त्रविद्यामें पारंगत एवं रणदुर्मद बहुत-से शूरवीर अपने दलबलके साथ वहाँ उपस्थित थे। इन सबने युद्धकी अभिलाषासे द्रोणाचार्यपर सहसा धावा किया
sañjaya uvāca | yudhāmanyuś ca vikrāntaḥ śikhaṇḍī cāparājitaḥ | uttamaujāś ca durdharṣo virāṭaś ca mahārathaḥ | sātyakiś ca cekitāno drupadakumāro dhṛṣṭadyumno parākramī | kuntibhojaḥ mahārathī drupado 'bhimanyuś ca kṣatradharmā balavān bṛhatkṣatraḥ | cedirājo dhṛṣṭaketuḥ mādrīkumarau nakula-sahadevau ghaṭotkacaś ca parākramī | sahasrāṇi ca śūrajavāṃśīyāḥ kṣatriyāḥ—ete cānye 'pi astravidyā-parāṅgatā raṇa-durmadā bahavaḥ śūrāḥ svadālbalena tatra samupasthitāḥ | te sarve yuddhābhilāṣeṇa droṇācāryam abhitaḥ sahasābhyadravan ||
Sañjaya said: Yudhāmanyu, famed for his valor, and Śikhaṇḍī, unconquered in battle; the unassailable Uttamaujā; Virāṭa, a great chariot-warrior; Sātyaki and Cekitāna; Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the mighty prince of Drupada; Kuntibhoja the mahāratha; Drupada himself; Abhimanyu, steadfast in the kṣatriya code; the powerful Bṛhatkṣatra; Dhṛṣṭaketu, king of Cedi; the Mādrī-born twins Nakula and Sahadeva; and the heroic Ghaṭotkaca—along with thousands of brave Kṣatriyas of the Śūrajā lineage and many other warriors, masters of weapon-lore and intoxicated with the fury of battle—stood there with their own divisions. Driven by the desire to fight, they suddenly rushed upon Droṇācārya from all sides.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma as collective responsibility: when a formidable threat (Droṇa) dominates the field, allied warriors coordinate and act decisively. Ethically, it highlights the tension between duty-bound violence and the disciplined commitment to protect one’s side and uphold pledged obligations in war.
Sañjaya lists leading Pāṇḍava-aligned heroes and their forces assembled on the battlefield. Fired by the will to fight, they launch a sudden, all-sided charge against Droṇācārya, signaling an attempt to check his overwhelming power through concentrated assault.