Shloka 45
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
तमभ्यधावत् त्राणार्थ द्रोणपुत्रो महारथ: । कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च पुत्र तेडपि परीप्सव:,तब महारथी द्रोणपुत्र दुर्योधनकी रक्षाके लिये दौड़ा। कृपाचार्य और कृतवर्मा भी आपके पुत्रको बचानेके लिये आ पहुँचे
tam abhyadhāvat trāṇārthaṁ droṇaputro mahārathaḥ | kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca putra te ’pi parīpsavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: For the sake of protection, the great chariot-warrior Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, rushed forward. Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā too—intent on saving your son—came there as well. The scene underscores the urgent, loyal impulse to shield their leader amid the chaos of battle, even as the war’s moral costs continue to mount.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior-ethic of immediate protective loyalty: in a moment of peril, allies prioritize safeguarding their leader. Ethically, it also points to the tension between personal allegiance and the broader consequences of sustaining a destructive conflict.
Duryodhana is in danger on the battlefield. Aśvatthāmā rushes forward to defend him, and Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā also arrive, all focused on rescuing and protecting Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son.