Shloka 39
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
केडरक्षन् दक्षिणं चक्रं सव्यं के च महात्मन:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | ke ’rakṣan dakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ savyaṃ ke ca mahātmanaḥ | ke vīrāḥ purato droṇasya yuddhe yuddhaparāyaṇāḥ | ke ca tyaktvā śarīrasnehaṃ pratyapadyanta vai ripūn | raṇe mṛtyuṃ ca ye prāpuḥ ||
Dijo Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «¿Quién guardaba la rueda derecha de aquella formación, y quién la izquierda, oh noble? ¿Qué héroes se alzaban al frente de Droṇa—siempre entregado a la batalla—en aquel campo? ¿Y qué hombres, despojándose del apego al cuerpo, afrontaron a los guerreros contrarios y escogieron la muerte en ese campo de guerra?»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: guarding strategic positions, standing at the forefront under a commander, and meeting death without bodily attachment. Ethically, it frames warfare as a field where duty, courage, and renunciation of fear are tested—while also underscoring the tragic cost of conflict.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya for a detailed report of Droṇa’s battle-array: who protected the right and left ‘wheels’ (flanks/sections), who fought at the very front under Droṇa’s command, and which warriors, disregarding self-preservation, confronted the enemy and fell in the fighting.