Shloka 16
द्रोणाभिमुखानां निवारण-युद्धम् / Interceptions on the Droṇa-front
कथं स्यादवशेषो हि धुर्ययोरभ्यतीतयो: । यौ नित्यमुपजीवाम: क्षमिणौ पुरुषर्षभौ,हमलोग सदा जिन सर्वसमर्थ पुरुषसिंहोंका आश्रय लेकर जीवन धारण करते थे, उन धुरंधर वीरोंके इस लोकसे चले जानेपर अब हमारी सेनाका कोई भी सैनिक कैसे जीवित बच सकता है
kathaṁ syād avaśeṣo hi dhuryayor abhyatītayoḥ | yau nityam upajīvāmaḥ kṣamiṇau puruṣarṣabhau ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Bagaimana mungkin masih ada yang tersisa, ketika dua jawara terdepan itu telah tiada? Selama ini kami hidup bersandar pada mereka—pahlawan sabar, banteng di antara manusia. Bila pilar-pilar itu pergi dari dunia, bagaimana seorang prajurit pun dari pasukanku dapat tetap hidup?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of power structures built on a few exceptional individuals: when the principal protectors fall, collective confidence collapses. It also underscores impermanence in war and the ethical weight of relying on might rather than stable dharma-based order.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of the departure (death) of two key champions on whom the Kauravas depended, expresses disbelief that any of his soldiers could survive. His words convey shock, grief, and the sense that the army’s very life depended on those leaders.