Shloka 8
उपयातानतिरथान् भीष्मं शान्तनवं कृपम् कर्ण दुर्योधन द्रोणं द्रोणपुत्रं च घड् रथान्
vaiśampāyana uvāca — upayātān atirathān bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ kṛpaṃ karṇaṃ duryodhanaṃ droṇaṃ droṇaputraṃ cāśvatthāmānam—ete ṣaḍ atirathā vīrā yuddhāya samupāgatāḥ.
قال فايشَمبايانا: «يُروى أنّ ستّةً من عِظامِ الفرسان من رتبة الأَتِيرَثَة قد حضروا للقتال: بهيشما ابن شانتنو، وكِرِپا، وكَرْنَة، ودوريودهن، ودرونا، وابنُ درونا أَشْوَتْثَامَا.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the gravity of impending conflict by naming elite warriors (atirathas). Ethically, it highlights how the presence of renowned elders and teachers in war intensifies the moral weight of the struggle and foreshadows the difficult choices demanded by kṣatriya-dharma.
The narrator reports that six foremost Kaurava-side champions—Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Duryodhana, Droṇa, and Aśvatthāmā—have arrived and assembled with the intention of fighting, signaling a major escalation toward battle.