Shloka 31
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Bhīṣma’s Theological Explanation of Pāṇḍava Invincibility
Book 6, Chapter 61
ततो भीष्मश्र द्रोणश्षु सैन्धवश्ष जयद्रथ: । पुरुमित्रो जयो भोज: शल्यश्वापि ससौबल:
tato bhīṣmaś ca droṇaś ca saindhavaś ca jayadrathaḥ | purumitraḥ jayo bhojaḥ śalyaś cāpi sasaubalaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Bhīṣma dan Droṇa, serta Jayadratha raja Sindhu, bersama Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, Śalya, dan Śakuni daripada keturunan Saubala—wira yang gagah laksana singa dan sukar ditundukkan di medan perang—berulang kali memecah dan mencerai-beraikan bala tentera Pāṇḍava.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless momentum of war: repeated tactical success can fracture even a strong army. Ethically, it points to the grim reality that prowess and coordination, when applied without restraint, magnify suffering and pressure the combatants’ commitment to dharma amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that leading Kaurava champions—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Jayadratha, and others including Śalya and Śakuni—are repeatedly breaking the formations of the Pāṇḍava forces, indicating Kaurava battlefield dominance at this moment.