Shloka 43
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
परामप्यापदं प्राप्प स कथं निहत: परै: । जो बड़ी-से-बड़ी आपत्ति पड़नेपर भी रणमें अपने शौर्यके कारण शत्रुको भयवश पीठ नहीं दिखा सकते थे, वे विपक्षियोंद्वारा किस प्रकार मारे गये? || ४२ ई ।। एतदार्येण कर्तव्यं कृच्छास्वापत्सु संजय
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | parām apy āpadaṃ prāpya sa kathaṃ nihataḥ paraiḥ | etad āryeṇa kartavyaṃ kṛcchrāsv āpatsu saṃjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Even after encountering the gravest calamity, how was he slain by the enemy? He who, by the force of his valor, could not be made to show his back in battle out of fear—how did the opposing warriors manage to kill him? Tell me, Saṃjaya, what a noble man ought to do when pressed by harsh and desperate calamity.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: in extreme adversity (āpada), what conduct befits an ārya (a noble person). It links nobility with steadfastness, courage, and right action under pressure, rather than panic or dishonorable retreat.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of battlefield reversals, questions Saṃjaya about how a renowned warrior—one who would not turn his back in fear—could nevertheless be killed by the opposing side, and asks for guidance on what noble action is in such dire circumstances.