Mahabharata 7.170.24 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 170, Shloka 24
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
हृदयं तस्य भित्त्वाच जगाम वसुधातलम् । कश्मलं प्राविशद् राजा वृषसेनशराहत:,वह भल्ल्ल ट्रपदकी छाती छेदकर धरतीपर जा गिरा। वृषसेनके उस भललसे आहत होकर राजा ट्रुपद मूर्च्छित हो गये
hṛdayaṃ tasya bhittvā ca jagāma vasudhātalam | kaśmalaṃ prāviśad rājā vṛṣasenśarāhataḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: La flecha, tras atravesarle el corazón, cayó sobre la faz de la tierra. Herido por el dardo de Vṛṣasena, el rey fue presa del desconcierto y se desplomó, desfalleciendo en medio de la violencia de la batalla.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediate human cost of war: even a king, emblem of power and duty, can be overwhelmed by kaśmala—mental shock and collapse—when struck. It underscores the fragility of life and the grave consequences that accompany kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports that Vṛṣasena’s arrow pierces the king’s heart; the shaft then falls to the ground, and the wounded king is overtaken by kaśmala (bewilderment/faintness), losing composure and collapsing on the battlefield.
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