Shloka 9
तस्य सेनासमूहस्य मध्ये द्रोण: सुरक्षित: । निहतः पार्षतेनाजी किमन्यद् भागधेयत:,उसी विशाल सेनासमूहके मध्य सुरक्षित हुए द्रोणाचार्यको युद्धस्थलमें धृष्टद्युम्नने मार डाला, इसमें भाग्यके सिवा दूसरा क्या कारण हो सकता है?
tasya senāsamūhasya madhye droṇaḥ surakṣitaḥ | nihataḥ pārṣatenājau kim anyad bhāgadhayataḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “In the very midst of that vast host, Droṇa—well-guarded—was slain on the battlefield by the son of Pṛṣat. What cause can there be other than destiny?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a shocking reversal—an exceptionally protected warrior falling—as evidence of the overpowering force of destiny (bhāgadhaya). Ethically, it highlights how, in war, human planning and protection can fail, prompting reflection on karma, the limits of control, and the tragic inevitability that often accompanies adharma-driven conflict.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to the news that Droṇa, positioned amid and guarded by a large Kaurava force, has nevertheless been killed in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna (called ‘Pārṣata’). He expresses astonishment and attributes the outcome to fate rather than to any ordinary tactical cause.