Shloka 35
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
पलालकाण्डवर्णस्तु वार्थक्षेमिं तरस्विनम् । ऊहुः सुतुमुले युद्धे हया: कृष्णा: स्वलंकृता:
palālakāṇḍavarṇas tu vārthakṣemiṁ tarasvinam | ūhuḥ sutumule yuddhe hayāḥ kṛṣṇāḥ svalankṛtāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Dans cette bataille farouche et tumultueuse, des chevaux noirs, richement harnachés—d’une teinte rappelant la pâle tige de paille—emportèrent le guerrier rapide et puissant, gardien des richesses et du bien-être (kṣema). La scène montre qu’au cœur même du désordre moral de la guerre, la force et la prévoyance demeurent mobilisées pour soutenir le dessein et la survie d’un chef.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within the disorder of war, the verse highlights the deliberate sustaining of a leader through resources and protection (artha-kṣema). It points to the battlefield reality that power is not only personal valor but also the support systems—mounts, equipment, and preparedness—that uphold one’s aims and responsibilities.
Sañjaya describes a swift, powerful figure being borne through a very tumultuous battle by well-adorned black horses, noted with a distinctive pale straw-stalk hue description. The focus is on the movement and martial conveyance amid intense fighting.