Shloka 40
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
तमेकाकिनमासाद्य धार्तराष्ट्र महाबलम् । वियूथमिव मातज्ूुं समहृष्यन्त पाण्डवा:,जैसे कोई मतवाला हाथी अपने यूथसे बिछुड़ गया हो, उसी प्रकार अकेले आये हुए आपके महाबली पुत्र दुर्योधनको पाकर समस्त पाण्डव हर्षसे खिल उठे
tam ekākinam āsādya dhārtarāṣṭraṁ mahābalam | viyūtham iva mātaṅgaṁ samahṛṣyanta pāṇḍavāḥ ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രന്റെ മഹാബലവാനായ പുത്രനെ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായി കണ്ടപ്പോൾ പാണ്ഡവർ ആനന്ദിച്ചു; കൂട്ടത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വേർപെട്ട മത്തനായ ആനയെ കണ്ട വേട്ടക്കാർ ഹർഷിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, advantage is often perceived when a powerful opponent is isolated; it also implicitly shows the ethical tragedy of the Kurukṣetra conflict—relatives exulting at a moment of vulnerability in one of their own, because duty and survival have overridden familial bonds.
Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍavas encounter Duryodhana (the mighty son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) arriving alone, and they become delighted, comparing him to a great elephant separated from its herd—an image suggesting both his strength and his exposed, vulnerable position.