Shloka 5
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 37: Sañjaya’s Account of Abhimanyu’s Precision Disruption of a Chariot Contingent
द्रोणो द्रौणि: कृप: कर्ण: कृतवर्मा च सौबल: । बृहद्धलो मद्रराजो भूरिभ्भूरिश्रवा: शल:,द्रोण, अश्वत्थामा, कृपाचार्य, कर्ण, कृतवर्मा, सुबलपुत्र शकुनि, बृहद्वल, मद्रराज शल्य, भूरि, भूरिश्रवा, शल, पौरव तथा वृषसेन--ये अभिमन्युपर तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे। इन्होंने महान् बाण-वर्षद्वारा अभिमन्युको आच्छादित कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
droṇo drauṇiḥ kṛpaḥ karṇaḥ kṛtavarmā ca saubalaḥ |
bṛhaddhalo madrarājo bhūribhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Droṇa, Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Kṛtavarmā, and Saubala (Śakuni), along with Bṛhadbala, the king of Madra Śalya, Bhūri, Bhūriśravas, and Śala—these warriors began to shower Abhimanyu with a fierce rain of arrows, covering him over with their great missile-storm. The scene underscores the moral tension of the battle: many senior fighters concentrating force against a single youthful hero, where prowess and expediency press hard against ideals of fair combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: collective force and tactical necessity can eclipse ideals of righteous combat. It invites reflection on dharma in battle—how power, seniority, and desperation can lead to actions that appear disproportionate against a lone opponent.
Sañjaya reports that several leading Kaurava warriors—Droṇa and other prominent fighters—jointly attack Abhimanyu, unleashing a concentrated barrage of arrows that covers him, intensifying the crisis around his lone advance within the enemy formation.