Shloka 28
Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा
शैनेयभीमार्जुनवाहिनी शं सौभद्रपाज्चालसकाशिराजम् | अन्यांश्व वीरान् समरे मर्द द्रोण: सुतानां तव भूतिकाम:,सात्यकि, भीमसेन और अर्जुन जिसमें सेनापति थे तथा जिसके भीतर अभिमन्यु, द्रपद एवं काशिराज-जैसे योद्धा मौजूद थे, उस सेनाको तथा अन्यान्य महावीरोंको भी द्रोणाचार्यने समरांगणमें रौंद डाला; क्योंकि वे आपके पुत्रोंको ऐश्वर्यकी प्राप्ति कराना चाहते थे
śaineya-bhīmārjuna-vāhinīṁ śaṁ saubhadra-pāñcāla-sakāśirājam | anyāṁś ca vīrān samare marda droṇaḥ sutānāṁ tava bhūti-kāmaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Droṇa, intent on securing prosperity and advantage for your sons, crushed in battle that host led by Sātyaki, Bhīma, and Arjuna—within which stood Abhimanyu, the Pāñcālas, Drupada, and the king of Kāśī—and he also trampled down many other heroic warriors on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal loyalty and the desire to secure prosperity for one’s side (bhūti-kāmaḥ) can drive even a revered teacher like Droṇa to relentless violence in war. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between duty to patrons/kinsmen and the broader demands of dharma in a catastrophic conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa overpowered a major Pāṇḍava-aligned host led by Sātyaki, Bhīma, and Arjuna, and containing Abhimanyu, the Pāñcālas, Drupada, and the king of Kāśī, along with other heroes—emphasizing Droṇa’s battlefield dominance and his motive of advancing Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons.