Duryodhana while witnessing the strength of the Pāṇḍavas army supported by the might of Bhīmā weighed his own armies strength under the command of Bhīshma

and perceiving the mood of his preceptor Droṇāchārya, he could understand the inadequacy in his own troops and the perfection of strength on the Pāṇḍavas side to be victorious and internally this aggrieved him heavily.

Bhīshma seeing all this gave a roar like a lion and blew a mighty, reverberating blast on his conch-shell which was followed by a tumultuous beating of drums, blaring of horns and blasting of conch-shells as if indicative of the victory in order to cheer up Duryodhana.

Immediately upon hearing this Lord Krishna and Arjuna seated in their majestic chariot capable of conquering all the worlds; both seized their conch-shells and reverberated a sound that shook all the worlds.

Thereafter Bhīmā, Yudhisṭhīra, Nākula and Sahadeva and the rest of the mahā-rathas of the Pāṇḍava army blew their conch-shells

and the roar which was heard cleaved the hearts of Duryodhana and the army of the Kaurāvas and in their hearts they felt that the battle was already lost.

Thus did Sanjaya narrate to Dhritarāshtra whose only concern was for the success of his son Duryodhana and the Kaurāvas in the battle.

2 Saṃjaya Spake “Noticing the Pāṇḍava-host arrayed for battle, Duryodhana the King thereupon approached the Preceptor (Drona), and uttered this word: 3 “Behold, Preceptor, this mighty host of Pāṇḍu’s sons, drawn in battle-array by Drupada’s son—thy talented disciple. (88)

Saṃjaya then said “The Pāṇḍava Army has got so terribly excited that it looks like the mouth of the destroyer getting widened as at the time of the world dissolution. In that way the immensely massive army got suddenly astir just as the subtle venom gets out of control when gushing out: or just as the forest fire when fanned and spread out by stormy winds seeketh to reach the very heights of the sky after absorbing dry the ocean water. In that way the Pāṇḍava Army ready with impregnable defence-arrangements looked formidable at that time. Duryodhana seeing this treated it with contempt in the way a lion ignores a herd of elephants: approaching Dronāchārya, (Duryodhana) enquired if he saw how the Pāṇḍava army had got elated. “These different battle formations all around which appear like moving mountain fortresses have been constructed by that dull-headed Dhrishtadyumna: oh, see, see, it is he whom you trained and made expert by giving him the art that has spread this ocean of army.

'Ācārya'—By addressing Droṇa as 'Ācārya', it seems that Duryodhana means to say that he is the preceptor, who taught the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, the science of warfare. So he should not be partial, to either of the groups.

'Tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā'—By this phrase Duryodhana means, that Droṇa is so simple hearted, that he has taught the science of warfare to Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Drupada's son, who is born to kill him (Droṇa), and who is so clever, that he is determined to vanquish and kill none other than, his own preceptor.

'Drupadaputreṇa'—It means that Drupada, with the motive of getting your honour killed, got a holy sacrifice performed, by the two Brāhmaṇas (men of the priest-class) named Yāja and Upayāja, and thus Dhṛṣṭadyumna, was born. The same Dhṛṣṭadyumna was standing before him, as commander of the rival army.

Though Duryodhana, could speak the word Dhṛṣṭadyumna instead of 'Drupadaputra', the son of Drupada, yet he intentionally used 'Drupadaputreṇa', to remind Droṇācārya of the enmity that Drupada, had with him. So he really meant that it was a good

opportunity, to take a revenge.

**‘Pāṇḍuputrāṇām, etām vyūḍhām mahatīm camūm paśya’**—Behold the mighty army of the Pāṇḍavas, arrayed for battle by the son of Drupada. It means that Duryodhana wants to say, “O master, the Pāṇḍavas, whom you love, have made the son of Drupada, the general of their army so that he may kill you. Had they loved you, they would never have appointed him as a general.”

Though the army of the Kauravas, was larger than that of the Pāṇḍavas, the army of the Kauravas was eleven ‘Akṣauhiṇī*, while that of the Pāṇḍavas was only seven ‘Akṣauhiṇī’, yet the army of the Pāṇḍavas seemed to Duryodhana, larger than what it actually was. The army of the Pāṇḍavas, seemed more formidable to Duryodhana because:—

(i) It was arrayed in such a manner, that even a small army seemed larger to Duryodhana.

(ii) All the warriors of the Pāṇḍavas army, were united and of one mind. So it seemed greater in strength and enthusiasm.

Drawing Droṇa’s attention to the army of the Pāṇḍavas, Duryodhana wants to say to Droṇācārya, that he should not regard the army of the rival group as ordinary (small). He should fight with all his might and it would not be difficult for him to defeat the son of Drupada, because he was his pupil.

‘Etām paśya’, means that the army of the Pāṇḍavas is arrayed for the battle. So you should take a quick decision how to get victory over them.

*Link:—After requesting Droṇācārya, to behold the army of the Pāṇḍavas, Duryodhana shows him the chariot-warriors of the army, of the Pāṇḍavas.*

* One ‘Akṣauhiṇī’ army consists of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses and 1,09,350 foot-soldiers (Mahābhārata, Ādi. 2/23—26).

मग द्रोणापासी आला । तयाते म्हणे हा देखिला । कैसा दळभारु उचलला । पांडवांचा ॥ ९३॥

गिरिदुर्ग जैसे चालते । तैसे विविध व्यूह संभवते । हे रचिले आथि बुद्धिमंते । द्रुपद्कुमरें ॥ ९४॥

जो का तुम्हीं शिक्षापिला । विद्या देऊनी कुरुठा केला । तेणे हा पाखरिला । देखदेख ॥ ९५॥

(1.88) संजय ने कहा — प्रथम पाण्डवों की सेना ऐसी क्षुब्ध हो गई कि जैसे महाप्रलय के समय कृतान्त ने मुँह फैलाया हो।

(1.89) वह अत्यन्त सघन सेना एकदम भभक उठी; जैसे कालकूट विष क्षुब्ध हो कर सब दूर छा जाये तो उसे कौन शमन कर सकता है? (1.90) अथवा जैसे बड़वानल प्रलय-काल की वायु से पुष्ट होकर समुद्र का शोषण करता है और उससे आकाश तक प्रदीप्त हो जाता है,

(1.91) वैसे ही यह दुर्धर सेना नाना प्रकार के व्यूहों से रची हुई मुझे उस समय भयानक दिखाई दी।

(1.92) उसे देखकर दुर्योधन ने उसका इस तरह तिरस्कार किया कि जैसे सिंह हाथियों के समूह की परवा नहीं करता।

(1.93) फिर वह द्रोण के पास आया और उनसे कहने लगा कि देखो, पाण्डवों का दल कैसा भभक रहा है।

(1.94) बुद्धिमान द्रुपद-पुत्र (धृष्टद्युम्न) ने इस सेना में चहुँओर अनेक व्यूह रचे हैं जो मानों चलते पहाड़ी किले ही हैं।

(1.95) देखिए, आपने जिस शिष्य को अपनी विद्या का आश्रयस्थान बनाया है उसी ने इस सेनारूपी समुद्र का विस्तार किया है।

‘आचार्य’—द्रोणके लिये ‘आचार्य’ सम्बोधन देनेमें दुर्योधनका यह भाव मालूम देता है कि आप हम सबके—कौरवों और पाण्डवोंके आचार्य हैं। शस्त्रविद्या सिखानेवाले होनेसे आप सबके गुरु हैं। इसलिये आपके मनमें किसीका पक्ष या आग्रह नहीं होना चाहिये।

‘तव शिष्येण धीमता’—इन पदोंका प्रयोग करनेमें

दुर्योधनका भाव यह है कि आप इतने सरल हैं कि अपने मारनेके लिये पैदा होनेवाले धृष्टद्युम्नको भी आपने अस्त्र-शस्त्रकी विद्या सिखायी है; और वह आपका शिष्य धृष्टद्युम्न इतना बुद्धिमान् है कि उसने आपको मारनेके लिये आपसे ही अस्त्र-शस्त्रकी विद्या सीखी है।

‘द्रुपदपुत्रेण’—यह पद कहनेका आशय है कि आपको

मारनेके उद्देश्यको लेकर ही द्रुपदने याज और उपयाज नामक ब्राह्मणोंसे यज्ञ कराया, जिससे धृष्टद्युम्न पैदा हुआ। वही यह द्रुपदपुत्र धृष्टद्युम्न आपके सामने (प्रतिपक्षमें) सेनापतिके रूपमें खड़ा है।

यद्यपि दुर्योधन यहाँ 'द्रुपदपुत्र'के स्थानपर 'धृष्टद्युम्न' भी कह सकता था, तथापि द्रोणाचार्यके साथ द्रुपद जो वैर रखता था, उस वैरभावको याद दिलानेके लिये दुर्योधन यहाँ 'द्रुपदपुत्रेण' शब्दका प्रयोग करता है कि अब वैर निकालनेका अच्छा मौका है।

'पाण्डुपुत्राणाम् एतां व्यूहां महतीं चमूं पश्य'—द्रुपदपुत्रके द्वारा पाण्डवोंकी इस व्यूहाकार खड़ी हुई बड़ी भारी सेनाको देखिये। तात्पर्य है कि जिन पाण्डवोंपर आप स्नेह रखते हैं, उन्हीं पाण्डवोंने आपके प्रतिपक्षमें खास आपको मारनेवाले द्रुपदपुत्रको सेनापति बनाकर व्यूह-रचना करनेका अधिकार दिया है। अगर पाण्डव आपसे स्नेह रखते तो कम-से-कम आपको मारनेवालेको तो अपनी सेनाका मुख्य सेनापति नहीं बनाते, इतना अधिकार तो नहीं देते। परन्तु सब कुछ जानते हुए भी उन्होंने उसीको सेनापति बनाया है।

यद्यपि कौरवोंकी अपेक्षा पाण्डवोंकी सेना संख्यामें कम थी अर्थात् कौरवोंकी सेना ग्यारह अक्षौहिणी* और पाण्डवोंकी सेना सात अक्षौहिणी थी, तथापि दुर्योधन पाण्डवोंकी सेनाको बड़ी भारी बता रहा है। पाण्डवोंकी सेनाको बड़ी भारी कहनेमें दो भाव मालूम देते हैं—

(१) पाण्डवोंकी सेना ऐसे ढंगसे व्यूहाकार खड़ी हुई थी, जिससे दुर्योधनको थोड़ी सेना भी बहुत बड़ी दीख रही थी और (२) पाण्डव-सेनामें सब-के-सब योद्धा एक मतके थे। इस एकताके कारण पाण्डवोंकी थोड़ी सेना भी बलमें, उत्साहमें बड़ी मालूम दे रही थी। ऐसी सेनाको दिखाकर दुर्योधन द्रोणाचार्यसे यह कहना चाहता है कि युद्ध करते समय आप इस सेनाको सामान्य और छोटी न समझें। आप विशेष बल लगाकर सावधानीसे युद्ध करें। पाण्डवोंका सेनापति है तो आपका शिष्य द्रुपदपुत्र ही; अतः उसपर विजय करना आपके लिये कौन-सी बड़ी बात है!

'एतां पश्य' कहनेका तात्पर्य है कि यह पाण्डव-सेना युद्धके लिये तैयार होकर सामने खड़ी है। अतः हमलोग इस सेनापर किस तरहसे विजय कर सकते हैं—इस विषयमें आपको जल्दी-से-जल्दी निर्णय लेना चाहिये।

सम्बन्ध—द्रोणाचार्यसे पाण्डवोंकी सेना देखनेके लिये प्रार्थना करके अब दुर्योधन उन्हें पाण्डव-सेनाके महारथियोंको दिखाता है।