Shloka 6
Droṇācāryaḥ Senāpatiḥ
Droṇa Appointed Commander-in-Chief
तेनातियशसा कर्ण घ्नता शत्रुगणान् मम । सुयुद्धेन दशाहानि पालिता: स्मो महात्मना,दुर्योधनने कहा--कर्ण! पहले आयु, बल-पराक्रम और विद्यामें सबसे बढ़े-चढ़े पितामह भीष्म हमारे सेनापति थे। वे अत्यन्त यशस्वी महात्मा पितामह समस्त योद्धाओंको साथ ले उत्तम युद्ध-प्रणालीद्वारा मेरे शत्रुओंका संहार करते हुए दस दिनोंतक हमारा पालन करते आये हैं
tenātiyaśasā karṇa ghnatā śatrugaṇān mama | suyuddhena daśāhāni pālitāḥ smo mahātmanā ||
Duryodhana dit : «Ô Karṇa, par ce héros d’une renommée suprême—abattant les cohortes de mes ennemis—par une guerre réglée et parfaite, nous fûmes protégés dix jours durant par ce grand d’âme.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a ruler frames legitimacy through protection, fame, and military competence: Duryodhana measures security and success by the commander’s renown and effective strategy. Ethically, it shows reliance on martial excellence as a substitute for moral certainty—an important tension in the epic’s portrayal of contested dharma.
After Bhishma’s ten-day command has ended (he has fallen), Duryodhana addresses Karna, recalling that the great and highly renowned leader protected the Kauravas for ten days by skillfully waging war and killing Duryodhana’s enemies. This sets the emotional and strategic background for the transition of command in the Drona Parva.