Shloka 35
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
पलालकाण्डवर्णस्तु वार्थक्षेमिं तरस्विनम् । ऊहुः सुतुमुले युद्धे हया: कृष्णा: स्वलंकृता:
palālakāṇḍavarṇas tu vārthakṣemiṁ tarasvinam | ūhuḥ sutumule yuddhe hayāḥ kṛṣṇāḥ svalankṛtāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In that fiercely tumultuous battle, the well-adorned black horses—of the hue of pale straw-stalks—bore along the swift and powerful warrior, a protector of wealth and welfare (kṣema). The scene shows that even amid war’s moral chaos, strength and careful provision are marshalled to sustain a leader’s purpose and survival.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within the disorder of war, the verse highlights the deliberate sustaining of a leader through resources and protection (artha-kṣema). It points to the battlefield reality that power is not only personal valor but also the support systems—mounts, equipment, and preparedness—that uphold one’s aims and responsibilities.
Sañjaya describes a swift, powerful figure being borne through a very tumultuous battle by well-adorned black horses, noted with a distinctive pale straw-stalk hue description. The focus is on the movement and martial conveyance amid intense fighting.