Shloka 336
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
स कथं निहतः: पार्थ: क्षुद्रमत्स्यैर्यथा तिमि: । स्वर्गलोकमें इन्द्रके समान जो इस लोकमें सबसे श्रेष्ठ थे, उन महान् सत्त्वशाली, महाबली द्रोणाचार्यको कुन्तीके पुत्रोंने उसी प्रकार मार डाला, जैसे छोटे मत्स्योंने मिलकर तिमि नामक महामत्स्यको मार डाला हो। यह कैसे सम्भव हुआ?
sa kathaṁ nihataḥ pārthaḥ kṣudra-matsyair yathā timiḥ | svarga-loke indra-samo yo ’smin loke sarva-śreṣṭhaḥ | taṁ mahān sattva-śālinaṁ mahā-balaṁ droṇācāryaṁ kuntī-putraiḥ tathā jaghnuḥ, yathā kṣudra-matsyāḥ saṁhatāḥ timi-nāma mahā-matsyaṁ hanyuḥ | etat kathaṁ sambhavam abhavat ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How was that Pārtha brought down—like the great fish Timi slain by a swarm of tiny fish? How could Kuntī’s sons kill Droṇācārya, that mighty and high-souled hero—Indra’s equal in heaven and the foremost among men in this world—just as small fish, joining together, might destroy a vast fish named Timi? How could such a thing be possible?
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: immense personal prowess can be overcome by coordinated effort and circumstance, raising questions about fairness, strategy, and dharma in war. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s disbelief underscores how the fall of a revered teacher-warrior forces reflection on the limits of power and the moral costs of victory.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya how Droṇācārya—described as supremely great and Indra-like—could have been killed by Kuntī’s sons. He uses a vivid simile: small fish banding together to kill the huge fish Timi, expressing shock that a collective could bring down a seemingly invincible champion.