Mahabharata 7.135.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 135, Shloka 7
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
विनष्टान् कौरवान् मन्ये मम पुत्रस्य दुर्नयै: । न हि कर्णो महेष्वासान् पार्थान् जेष्यति संजय
vināṣṭān kauravān manye mama putrasya durnayaiḥ | na hi karṇo maheṣvāsān pārthān jeṣyati sañjaya ||
Sañjaya said: I deem the Kauravas already ruined because of the evil policies of my son. For Karṇa will never be able to defeat the Pārthas—the mighty bowmen, the sons of Kuntī, O Sañjaya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unrighteous strategy and stubborn, unethical leadership (durnaya) bring collective ruin; personal prowess alone cannot overturn the moral and strategic consequences of adharma.
Sañjaya reports a grim assessment: the Kaurava cause is effectively lost due to the misguided conduct of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son, and even Karṇa’s famed archery will not suffice to overcome the Pārthas (the Pāṇḍavas).
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