Shloka 4
तं तु द्रोण: कृप: कर्णो द्रौणिश्व स बृहद्धलः । कृतवर्मा च हार्दिक्य: षड् रथा: पर्यवारयन्,तब द्रोणाचार्य, कृपाचार्य, कर्ण, अश्वत्थामा, बृहद्बल और हृदिकपुत्र कृतवर्मा--इन छ: महारथियोंने उसे चारों ओरसे घेर लिया
taṃ tu droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇo drauṇiś ca sa bṛhaddhalaḥ | kṛtavarmā ca hārdikyaḥ ṣaḍ rathāḥ paryavārayan ||
Sañjaya said: But him—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, that mighty Bṛhaddhala, and Kṛtavarmā the son of Hṛdīka—those six chariot-warriors surrounded on every side. The scene underscores how, in the press of war, a single target is met not by one rival alone but by a coordinated ring of renowned fighters, raising the ethical tension between valor in single combat and the expediency of collective encirclement.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: battlefield success often depends on coordinated force rather than isolated heroism. This raises ethical reflection on yuddha-dharma—whether surrounding a single opponent aligns with ideals of fair combat or represents necessary strategy under the harsh logic of war.
Sañjaya reports that six prominent Kaurava-side chariot-warriors—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Aśvatthāmā, Bṛhaddhala, and Kṛtavarmā—close in and surround a particular warrior on all sides, indicating an intense, focused engagement in the battle.