Shloka 28
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
सुतसोम॑ तु यः सौम्यं पार्थ: पुत्रमजीजनत् । माषपुष्पसवर्णास्तमवहन् वाजिनो रणे
sutasomaṁ tu yaḥ saumyaṁ pārthaḥ putram ajījanat | māṣapuṣpasavarṇās tam avahan vājino raṇe ||
Sañjaya said: O gentle one, the son whom Pārtha (Arjuna) begot—named Sutasoma—was borne through the battle by horses the color of māṣa-flowers. The verse underscores how, even amid the violence of war, lineage, identity, and the visible signs of a warrior’s chariot-team remain markers of duty and recognition on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the midst of war, a warrior’s identity and duty are affirmed through lineage and the visible emblems of battle (such as the chariot’s horses). It reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring concern with recognizing persons and responsibilities even amid chaos.
Sañjaya identifies Sutasoma, the son fathered by Arjuna, and notes that in the battle he is borne along by horses of a distinctive dark hue likened to māṣa-flowers—an observational detail typical of battlefield narration.