Shloka 196
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
यदाश्रौष॑ नागबलै: सुदुःसहं द्रोणानीक॑ युयुधानं प्रमथ्य । यात॑ वार्ष्णेयं यत्र तौ कृष्णपार्थो तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,जब मैंने सुना कि वृष्णिवंशावतंस युयुधान--सात्यकिने अकेले ही द्रोणाचार्यकी उस सेनाको, जिसका सामना हाथियोंकी सेना भी नहीं कर सकती थी, तितर-बितर और तहस-नहस कर दिया तथा श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके पास पहुँच गये। संजय! तभीसे मेरे लिये विजयकी आशा असम्भव हो गयी
yadāśrauṣa nāgabalaiḥ suduḥsahaṃ droṇānīkaṃ yuyudhānaṃ pramathya | yātaṃ vārṣṇeyaṃ yatra tau kṛṣṇapārthau tadā nāśaṃse vijayāya saṃjaya ||
Quando ouvi que Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), descendente dos Vṛṣṇis, sozinho despedaçara a formação de batalha comandada por Droṇa—tão terrível que até uma força de elefantes mal poderia resisti-la—e que depois alcançara o lugar onde estavam Kṛṣṇa e Pārtha (Arjuna), naquele instante, Sañjaya, já não pude conservar esperança alguma de vitória.
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how decisive courage and disciplined action can overturn even seemingly invincible power, and how inner confidence (or its loss) shapes outcomes in conflict. Ethically, it implies that mere might and imposing formations are fragile when opposed by resolute warriors aligned with righteous leadership and clear purpose.
A speaker reports hearing that Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki) has smashed through Droṇa’s formidable battle-force—one that even elephant troops could hardly face—and has successfully reached Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. This news causes the speaker to abandon hope of victory, indicating a turning point in morale.