Shloka 343
पृष्ठतोडनुगमिष्यामि सार्थहीनो यथाध्वग: । इसके बाद आपके सत्यपराक्रमी पुत्र राजा दुर्योधनने संदेशवाहक दूतोंसे इस प्रकार कहा-- 'भीमसेनने रणभूमिमें अधर्मसे मेरा वध किया है। अब मैं स्वर्गमें गये हुए द्रोणाचार्य
sañjaya uvāca | pṛṣṭhato 'nugamiṣyāmi sārthahīno yathādhvagaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “I shall follow behind—like a traveler who has been left without his caravan.” In context, the line conveys the moral and emotional desolation of one who, after the ruin of his companions through war and wrongdoing, can only trail after them toward the same end, bereft of support and direction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The simile of a lone traveler underscores the ethical and existential consequence of war driven by adharma: when one’s community and moral supports collapse, one is left isolated, merely following the aftermath of destruction rather than walking a purposeful path.
Sañjaya reports a statement framed as a lament: after the slaughter of many allies and elders, the speaker portrays himself as one left behind without companions, destined to follow them—implicitly toward death and the next world—like a traveler separated from his caravan.