Shloka 17
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
अथ तन्रैव संग्रामे वर्तमाने सुदारुणे । अपस॒व्य॑ ततश्नक्रे द्रौणिस्तत्र वृकोदरम्,इस प्रकार चलनेवाले उस भयंकर संग्राममें वहीं द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाने भीमसेनको अपने दाहिने भागमें कर दिया
atha tanraiva saṅgrāme vartamāne sudāruṇe | apasavya tataś cakre drauṇis tatra vṛkodaram ||
សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ នៅពេលសង្គ្រាមដ៏សាហាវនោះកំពុងបន្តទៅមុខ ដ្រោណី (អશ્વត្ថាមា) បានបង្វែរទៅតាមចលនាអបសវ្យ (បង្វិលទៅខាងឆ្វេង) ហើយរៀបចំឲ្យ វ្រឹកោទរ (ភីម) ស្ថិតនៅខាងស្តាំរបស់ខ្លួន ដើម្បីចូលប្រយុទ្ធដ៏សម្រេចចិត្តមួយនៅកណ្ដាលភាពចលាចលនៃសមរភូមិ។
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a dharmic war, actions are framed by codes of conduct and signs (auspicious/inauspicious). The verse highlights how warriors interpret direction and positioning not only tactically but also through an ethical-ritual lens, showing the Mahābhārata’s tension between martial necessity and moral symbolism.
As the fierce fighting continues, Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi) makes a maneuver described as apasavya (leftward/inauspicious) and arranges the encounter so that Bhīma (Vṛkodara) is on his right side—indicating a deliberate repositioning for combat.