Shloka 5
द्रोण–सात्यकि द्वैरथम्
Droṇa and Sātyaki: The Chariot Duel
वयं त्वप्रतिमं वीर्ये सर्वे सौभद्रमात्मजम् । उक्तवन्त: सम तं तात भिन्ध्यनीकमिति प्रभो,तब हम सब लोग अनुपम पराक्रमी अपने पुत्र सुभद्रानन्दन अभिमन्युसे बोले--“तात! तुम इस व्यूहका भेदन करो; क्योंकि तुम ऐसा करनेमें समर्थ हो”
vayaṃ tv apratimaṃ vīrye sarve saubhadram ātmajam | uktavantaḥ sma taṃ tāta bhindhy anīkam iti prabho ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “All of us, O lord, addressed the son of Subhadrā—peerless in valor—saying, ‘Dear one, break through the enemy’s battle-array.’” The line conveys the elders’ collective decision in the pressure of war: they entrust a daunting, morally weighty task to Abhimanyu because of his proven capability, even as the act of ordering a younger warrior into extreme peril raises the ethical tension that will soon define the episode.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of leadership in war: elders collectively assign a perilous duty to the most capable warrior. It invites reflection on dharma as responsibility—how strategic necessity can conflict with protective duty toward the young, and how praise of valor can become an instrument that compels risky action.
Yudhiṣṭhira recounts that the Pāṇḍavas together urged Abhimanyu, famed for unmatched valor, to pierce the enemy’s battle-array. This sets up the crucial episode where Abhimanyu is tasked with entering and breaking a formidable formation.