Shloka 37
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
ते हता हन्यमानाश्र न्यगृह्लंस्तं रथोत्तमम् । स रथस्तम्भितस्तस्थौ क्रोशमात्रे समन््तत:,उन हताहत होनेवाले कौरव-सैनिकोंने उत्तम रथी अर्जुनको आगे बढ़नेसे रोक दिया। वे जयद्रथसे एक कोसकी दूरीपर चारों ओरसे रथसेनाद्वारा घिरे हुए खड़े थे
te hatā hanyamānāś ca nyagṛhṇan taṁ rathottamam | sa rathaḥ stambhitas tasthau krośamātre samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Walaupun ramai antara mereka terbunuh dan yang lain masih sedang ditumpaskan, para askar Kaurava tetap menahan pahlawan kereta perang yang terunggul itu. Maka kereta Arjuna pun terhenti, dikepung dari segala arah pada jarak kira-kira satu krośa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid catastrophic losses, collective resolve and strategic cohesion can momentarily halt a superior warrior; ethically, the verse highlights the battlefield tension between steadfast duty to one’s side and the escalating human cost of pursuing a single objective.
Kaurava troops, though being cut down, form a surrounding barrier and restrain Arjuna’s advance; his chariot is effectively stopped, with the enemy positioned around him at roughly a krośa’s distance.