Shloka 17
Abhimanyunidhana-prakāśaḥ — Vasudeva–Kṛṣṇa–Subhadrā–Kuntī śoka-saṃvāda
Disclosure and Consolation
तस्मिंस्ते पृथिवीपाला द्रोणपार्षतसंगरे । नानादिगागता वीरा: प्रायशो निधनं गता:,धृष्टद्युम्न और द्रोणके उस भीषण संग्राममें नाना दिशाओंसे आये हुए भूपाल अधिक संख्यामें मारे गये
tasmiṁs te pṛthivīpālā droṇapārṣata-saṅgare | nānā-dig-āgatā vīrāḥ prāyaśo nidhanaṁ gatāḥ ||
Vāsudeva sprach: In jener schrecklichen Schlacht zwischen Droṇa und dem Sohn des Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) fanden viele kriegerische Könige, die aus den verschiedensten Himmelsrichtungen gekommen waren, in großer Zahl den Tod. Der Vers hebt die weitreichenden, unterschiedslosen Kosten des Krieges hervor: Selbst Herrscher, von fern herbeigerufen, werden vom Drang der Gewalt fortgerissen und mahnen an die schwere ethische Last derer, die solchen Streit entfachen oder nähren.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity and vast human cost of war: even powerful kings from many lands are swept into destruction. It implicitly cautions that martial glory is inseparable from widespread suffering and loss, urging reflection on responsibility and restraint.
Vāsudeva recalls the fierce confrontation involving Droṇa and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (called Pārṣata). In that conflict, numerous warrior-kings who had assembled from different directions were killed in large numbers.