Shloka 2
अध्याय ५५ — भीष्मस्य प्रचण्डविक्रमः, अर्जुनप्रत्युत्तरं, कृष्णस्य चक्रोद्यतिः
Chapter 55: Bhīṣma’s onslaught, Arjuna’s counter, and Kṛṣṇa’s raised discus
आचार्यमुपसंगम्य कृपं शल्यं च पार्थिव । सौमदत्तिं विकर्ण च सो<श्वृत्थामानमेव च
ācāryam upasaṅgamya kṛpaṃ śalyaṃ ca pārthiva | saumadattiṃ vikarṇaṃ ca so ’śvatthāmānam eva ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, puteramu (Duryodhana) mendekati guru Droṇa, dan juga Kṛpa serta Śalya, begitu juga Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas), Vikarṇa dan Aśvatthāmā; lalu dia masuk ke tengah para pahlawan terunggul itu. Melihat formasi ‘Krauñca’ yang menggerunkan, seakan-akan tidak dapat ditembusi, yang dijaga oleh Arjuna dengan keperkasaan yang tiada terukur, dia berusaha menyemarakkan semangat mereka dengan kata-kata yang tepat pada waktunya—membangkitkan tekad untuk pertembungan yang bakal tiba.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, leaders actively shape outcomes not only through force but through counsel and morale. Duryodhana’s act of approaching senior warriors underscores reliance on experienced authority (ācārya, elders) and the strategic importance of timely speech—yet it also implicitly frames the moral tension of pursuing victory even when dharma is contested.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, seeing the formidable Krauñca formation protected by Arjuna, goes to key Kaurava champions—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, Bhūriśravas, Vikarṇa, and Aśvatthāmā—to encourage them and prepare them for the imminent engagement.