Shloka 26
कर्णो भूरिश्रवा द्रौणिर्वषसेनश्व दुर्जय: । कृपश्च मद्रराजश्न षडेते5स्य पुरोगमा:,“कलके युद्धमें कर्ण, भूरिश्रवा, अश्वत्थामा, दुर्जय वीर वृषसेन, कृपाचार्य और मद्रराज शल्य--ये छः महारथी उसके आगे रहेंगे”
karṇo bhūriśravā drauṇir vṛṣasenaś ca durjayaḥ | kṛpaś ca madrarājaś ca ṣaḍ ete ’sya purogamāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Karṇa, Bhūriśravā, Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, the hard-to-conquer hero Vṛṣasena, Kṛpācārya, and the king of Madra, Śalya—these six great warriors will stand at his front in the battle. The verse underscores how the war is shaped not only by individual prowess but by deliberate formations and loyalties, where renowned fighters place themselves forward to shield and advance their leader’s cause.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of loyalty and leadership in war: renowned warriors deliberately take the foremost position as a vanguard, showing how collective commitment and strategic protection of a leader can drive the course of conflict—while also reminding readers that martial excellence is often bound to contested causes in the Mahābhārata.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield arrangement: six eminent Kaurava-aligned mahārathas—Karṇa, Bhūriśravā, Aśvatthāmā, Vṛṣasena, Kṛpa, and Śalya—will be positioned at the front (purogamāḥ) of the referenced commander, serving as the leading guard in the ongoing fighting of Droṇa Parva.