Shloka 53
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
शुराश्व भद्रकाश्नैव शरकाण्डनिभा हया: । पद्मकिज्जल्कवर्णाभा दण्डधारमुदावहन्,शूर, सुन्दर मस्तकवाले, सरकण्डेके पोरुओंके समान श्वेत-गौर तथा कमलके केसरकी भाँति कान्तिमान् घोड़े दण्डधारको रणभूमिमें ले गये
śurāśva-bhadrakāś caiva śarakāṇḍa-nibhā hayāḥ | padma-kiñjalka-varṇābhā daṇḍadhāram udāvahan ||
Sañjaya said: Horses named Śurāśva and Bhadraka—white and pale like reeds, and radiant like the filaments of a lotus—bore Daṇḍadhāra across the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war’s chaos, duty is sustained through dependable supports—here, loyal and swift horses—showing how instruments and companions can uphold a warrior’s capacity to act within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya describes two named horses, Śurāśva and Bhadraka, distinguished by their bright, lotus-filament-like color, carrying Daṇḍadhāra away on the battlefield—suggesting rapid movement for rescue, repositioning, or tactical withdrawal.