Shloka 28
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 45: Saubhadra–Lakṣmaṇa-saṃyoga and Kaurava Counter-Encirclement
क्रुद्धाशीविषसंकाशान् सुकुमारान् सुखोचितान् । एकेन निहतान् दृष्टवा भीतो दुर्योधनो5भवत्,क्रोधमें भरे हुए विषधर सर्पोके समान भयंकर तथा सुख भोगनेके योग्य उन सुकुमार राजकुमारोंको एकमात्र अभिमन्युद्वारा मारा गया देख दुर्योधन भयभीत हो गया
sañjaya uvāca |
kruddhāśīviṣa-saṅkāśān sukumārān sukho-citān |
ekena nihatān dṛṣṭvā bhīto duryodhano 'bhavat ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing those youthful princes—terrible like enraged venomous serpents, yet delicate and accustomed to comfort—slain by a single warrior, Duryodhana was seized by fear. The scene underscores how pride in power collapses when confronted by unexpected prowess, and how fear arises when one’s violent designs rebound upon one’s own side.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and aggression do not guarantee security: when violence is pursued through arrogance and calculation, fear arises the moment outcomes turn unpredictable. The verse highlights the fragility of confidence rooted in dominance rather than dharma and inner steadiness.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana becomes frightened after witnessing that a group of young, high-born princes—fierce in battle like enraged serpents—have been slain by a single fighter, identified in the given context as Abhimanyu.