Shloka 15
Droṇanidhana-anantaraṃ sainya-viṣādaḥ and Karṇa-pravṛttiḥ
After Droṇa’s fall: army despondency and Karṇa’s advance
त॑ द्रोणं निहतं श्रुत्वा धृष्टद्युम्नेन संयुगे । सत्यसंध॑ महेष्वासं भृशं मे व्यथितं मन:
taṁ droṇaṁ nihataṁ śrutvā dhṛṣṭadyumnena saṁyuge | satyasaṁdhaṁ maheṣvāsaṁ bhṛśaṁ me vyathitaṁ manaḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Hearing that Droṇa—steadfast in his vows and a mighty archer—had been slain in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, my mind has been deeply shaken.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the death of a revered, vow-steadfast teacher in war destabilizes moral confidence: even when victory is pursued, the means and the targets can leave lasting ethical anguish. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s shaken mind reflects the inner cost of a war where dharma becomes contested and grief follows even ‘justified’ outcomes.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra hears that Droṇa, the great archer and commander, has been killed in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna. He reacts with intense distress, signaling the magnitude of Droṇa’s fall for the Kaurava side and the emotional and moral shock it produces.