Shloka 18
Abhimanyunidhana-prakāśaḥ — Vasudeva–Kṛṣṇa–Subhadrā–Kuntī śoka-saṃvāda
Disclosure and Consolation
दिनानि पज्च तद् युद्धमभूत् परमदारुणम् | ततो द्रोण: परिश्रान्तो धृष्टद्युम्नवशं गत:,उन दोनोंका वह परम दारुण युद्ध पाँच दिनोंतक चलता रहा। अन्तमें द्रोणाचार्य बहुत थक गये और धृष्टद्युम्नके वशमें पड़कर मारे गये
dināni pañca tad yuddham abhūt paramadāruṇam | tato droṇaḥ pariśrānto dhṛṣṭadyumnavaśaṃ gataḥ |
For five days that battle raged with extreme ferocity. Then Droṇa, worn out by the strain, fell into the power of Dhṛṣṭadyumna and was slain—showing how even the mightiest warrior, overcome by exhaustion and circumstance, becomes vulnerable to the consequences of war and to earlier vows.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of human strength in war: prolonged violence drains even great warriors, and once fatigue and circumstance take hold, outcomes follow inexorably. Ethically, it points to the tragic momentum of conflict—where personal prowess and ideals are tested, and the consequences of earlier choices and vows ripen amid chaos.
Vāsudeva recounts that a terrifying combat continued for five days. After this prolonged struggle, Droṇa became exhausted and fell under Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s control, leading to Droṇa’s death.