Shloka 206
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
तेषां तु षट् सहस्राणि ये शिखण्डिनमन्वयु: । पांचालोंके जो बारह हजार महारथी युद्धमें लड़ रहे थे, उनमेंसे छः हजार इस समय शिखण्डीके पीछे चलते थे
teṣāṃ tu ṣaṭ-sahasrāṇi ye śikhaṇḍinam anvayuḥ |
قال سنجيا: من بين أولئك المحاربين كان ستةُ آلافٍ يسيرون خلف شيخاندين. وفي زحمة القتال اصطفّ قسمٌ كبيرٌ من قوة البانشالا معه، مُظهِرًا كيف تُشكِّلُ الصفوفُ والقادةُ المختارون كُلًّا من الخطةِ الحربيةِ وثِقَلِ الرهانِ الأخلاقي في المعركة.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective action in war depends on chosen leadership and alignment; large numbers gathering behind a figure like Śikhaṇḍin shows the ethical weight of command—decisions about whom to follow shape the course of violence and responsibility within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports battlefield positioning: six thousand warriors move in Śikhaṇḍin’s wake, indicating a significant contingent forming behind him as the fighting intensifies.