Shloka 223
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
काम्बोजै: शबलैरश्वेरभ्यवर्तत दुर्जय: । चेदिदेशका श्रेष्ठ राजा अत्यन्त बलवान दुर्जय वीर धृष्टकेतु काम्बोजदेशीय चितकबरे घोड़ोंद्वारा युद्धभूमिकी ओर लौट रहा था
kāmbojaiḥ śabalair aśvair abhyavartata durjayaḥ | cedideśakaśreṣṭho rājā atyantabalavān durjayo vīro dhṛṣṭaketuḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : L’invincible héros Dhṛṣṭaketu—roi, le plus éminent des souverains du pays de Cedi, d’une puissance extrême—fit volte-face vers le champ de bataille, emporté par des chevaux pommelés nés en Kāmboja. Le vers souligne l’élan inexorable de la guerre : même après un revers, un chef kṣatriya revient au fracas, poussé par le devoir, la vaillance et la fidélité aux siens.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: a warrior-king, described as mighty and difficult to defeat, turns back toward battle rather than withdrawing—suggesting steadfastness, courage, and commitment to one’s pledged role, even amid danger.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭaketu, the powerful king of Cedi, wheels back toward the battlefield, carried by swift dappled horses associated with the Kāmbojas—signaling his renewed engagement in the ongoing combat.