Shloka 36
Adhyāya 143: Nocturnal duels—Nākuli and Citraseṇa; Vṛṣasena’s assault; Duḥśāsana vs Prativindhya
ग्रहणं धर्मराजस्य खग: श्येन इवामिषम्,'जैसे बाजपक्षी मांसपर झपट्टा मारता है, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्य प्रतिदिन धर्मराजको बंदी बनाना चाहते हैं। क्या राजा युधिष्ठिर सकुशल होंगे?”
grahaṇaṁ dharmarājasya khagaḥ śyena ivāmiṣam
Sañjaya berkata: “Seperti helang menyambar daging, demikianlah Droṇācārya, hari demi hari, berusaha menangkap Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) untuk dijadikan tawanan. Adakah Raja Yudhiṣṭhira akan kekal selamat dan tidak cedera?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and political weight of Dharmarāja’s person: in war, capturing a righteous king can be as decisive as killing warriors, yet it also raises ethical tension—victory sought through restraint (captivity) rather than slaughter, and the anxiety over the safety of the embodiment of dharma.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa repeatedly aims to seize Yudhiṣṭhira alive, comparing the attempt to a hawk’s sudden strike on prey, and he voices concern about whether Yudhiṣṭhira will remain unharmed amid the day’s fighting.