Shloka 17
Jayadrathasya śoka-bhaya-vilāpaḥ — Droṇena āśvāsanaṃ ca
Jayadratha’s lament and Droṇa’s reassurance
अतः इनके विषयमें “मृत” शब्द सार्थक हो रहा है। ये भयंकर पराक्रमी भूमिपाल प्राय: “मर गये” कहे जाते हैं ।। निश्चेष्टा निरभीमाना: शूरा: शत्रुवशंगता: । राजपुत्राश्व संरब्धा वैश्वानरमुखं गता:,ये शूरवीर राजकुमार चेष्टा और अभिमानसे रहित हो शत्रुओंके अधीन हो गये थे। वे कुपित होकर बाणोंकी आगमें कूद पड़े थे
niśceṣṭā nirabhīmānāḥ śūrāḥ śatruvaśaṅgatāḥ | rājaputrāś ca saṃrabdhā vaiśvānaramukhaṃ gatāḥ ||
Para pahlawan itu, kehilangan gerak dan kebanggaan, jatuh ke dalam kuasa musuh. Para pangeran kerajaan, menyala oleh amarah, menerjang ke mulut Vaiśvānara—ke dalam api anak panah.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, loss of agency and subjugation can render even the brave effectively ‘dead’ in social and moral reckoning; wrath-driven plunges into destruction (likened to entering the mouth of fire) show how anger accelerates ruin and eclipses discernment.
Yudhiṣṭhira describes warriors—especially royal princes—who have become powerless under enemy domination; enraged, they rush into lethal danger, metaphorically entering the mouth of Vaiśvānara (the consuming fire), i.e., the blazing ‘fire’ of weapons, and thus are spoken of as dead.