Shloka 25
अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्
Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement
चिकीर्षु्दुष्करं कर्म पार्षत: परवीरहा । ईषया समत्तिक्रम्य द्रोणस्प रथमाविशत्,शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले धृष्टद्युम्न दुष्कर कर्म करना चाहते थे। अतः ईषादण्डके सहारे अपने रथको लाँघकर द्रोणाचार्यके रथपर जा चढ़े
cikīrṣur duṣkaraṃ karma pārṣataḥ paravīrahā | īṣayā samatikramya droṇasya ratham āviśat ||
Sañjaya said: Dhr̥ṣṭadyumna, the son of Pṛṣata and a slayer of enemy heroes, intent on accomplishing a difficult deed, used the chariot’s pole as support to vault across and enter Droṇa’s chariot. In the ethical tension of battle, this depicts a deliberate, high-risk act driven by resolve to confront a formidable teacher-warrior, where personal valor and strategic necessity press against the gravity of attacking a revered elder.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights resolute agency in a morally weighty context: a warrior chooses a perilous, decisive action against a formidable elder. It invites reflection on how courage and strategic necessity operate within dharma’s constraints during war, where even justified aims can carry ethical gravity.
Dhr̥ṣṭadyumna, determined to perform a difficult feat, uses the chariot’s pole as leverage to cross over and climb into Droṇa’s chariot—an aggressive, close-quarters move signaling an imminent direct confrontation with Droṇa.