Shloka 8
Droṇanidhana-anantaraṃ sainya-viṣādaḥ and Karṇa-pravṛttiḥ
After Droṇa’s fall: army despondency and Karṇa’s advance
सुहृदस्त्वद्धिते युक्तान् भीष्मद्रोणमुखान् परै: । निहतान् युधि संस्मृत्य कच्चिन्न कुरुषे व्यथाम्,“आपके हितमें लगे हुए भीष्म, द्रोण आदि जो सुहृद् युद्धमें शत्रुओंके हाथसे मारे गये हैं, उन्हें याद करके क्या आप व्यथाका अनुभव नहीं करते हैं?”
suhṛdas tvaddhite yuktān bhīṣmadroṇamukhān paraiḥ | nihatān yudhi saṃsmṛtya kaccin na kuruṣe vyathām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “When you recall those well-wishers—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and the rest—who were devoted to your welfare, yet were slain in battle by the enemy, do you not feel anguish?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of war: even when one fights for a cause, the death of loyal well-wishers devoted to one’s welfare becomes a moral and emotional burden. Remembering them naturally calls forth grief and self-examination.
Vaiśampāyana frames a pointed question to a listener/character: when thinking of Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and other allies who fought for one’s benefit but were killed by the opposing side, does the person not feel distress? It underscores the aftermath of battle and the cost paid by revered elders and supporters.