Shloka 116
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
ब्राह्मणा राजपुत्राश्न स कथं मृत्युना हृत: । गुणार्थी ब्राह्मण तथा राजकुमार ब्राह्म और दैव अस्त्रोंके लिये जिनकी उपासना करते थे, उन्हें मृत्यु कैसे हर ले गयी?
brāhmaṇā rājaputrāś ca sa kathaṁ mṛtyunā hṛtaḥ | guṇārthī brāhmaṇa tathā rājakuṁmāraḥ brāhma (iti pāṭha-doṣaḥ) ||
قال دِهْرِتَرَاشْتْرَا: «كيف استطاع الموت أن يختطفه—وهو الذي كان البرهمنةُ والأمراءُ على السواء يبتغونه، برهمنٌ متطلعٌ إلى الفضائل والكمال، وفي الوقار كأنه فتىً من بيت الملك؟ كيف يُغلَب رجلٌ تُهاب قوته الروحية ويُكرَّم من الذين يتعبدون طلبًا للأسلحة الإلهية؟»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the most honored and spiritually accomplished person—respected by brāhmaṇas and princes—remains subject to mortality. The verse highlights the ethical shock of loss in war and the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that status, learning, and merit do not grant immunity from death.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of a significant death in the Drona Parva’s battle context, expresses disbelief and sorrow: he wonders how someone so esteemed and sought after could be ‘carried off by Death.’ The line functions as a lament and a reflection on the harsh reversals of the Kurukṣetra war.