Shloka 4
द्रोण–सात्यकि द्वैरथम्
Droṇa and Sātyaki: The Chariot Duel
ते पीड्यमाना द्रोणेन द्रोणानीक॑ न शकक््नुम: । प्रतिवीक्षितुमप्याजौ भेत्तुं तत् कुत एव तु,द्रोणाचार्यसे पीड़ित होनेके कारण हमलोग उनके सैन्यव्यूहकी ओर आँख उठाकर देख भी नहीं सकते थे; फिर युद्धभूमिमें उसका भेदन तो कर ही कैसे सकते थे?
te pīḍyamānā droṇena droṇānīkaṁ na śaknumaḥ | prativīkṣitum apy ājau bhettuṁ tat kuta eva tu ||
ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਦ੍ਰੋਣ ਦੇ ਦਬਾਅ ਹੇਠ ਅਸੀਂ ਰਣਭੂਮੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਦ੍ਰੋਣ ਦੇ ਸੈਨਾ-ਵ੍ਯੂਹ ਵੱਲ ਅੱਖ ਚੁੱਕ ਕੇ ਵੇਖਣ ਤੱਕ ਜੋਗੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਰਹੇ; ਫਿਰ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਦਣਾ ਤਾਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਸੰਭਵ ਸੀ?
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a single commander’s excellence can create moral and psychological constraint in war: when the opponent’s force overwhelms one’s courage and clarity, strategic objectives (like breaking a formation) become unattainable. It also reflects the dharmic tension of fighting a revered teacher—fear, reverence, and duty collide.
Yudhiṣṭhira describes the Pāṇḍavas’ predicament in the Droṇa Parva: Droṇa’s onslaught is so intense that they cannot even look toward his array on the battlefield, let alone penetrate and break it. This sets the stage for the urgency of counter-strategy against Droṇa’s formations.