Shloka 29
Jayadrathasya śoka-bhaya-vilāpaḥ — Droṇena āśvāsanaṃ ca
Jayadratha’s lament and Droṇa’s reassurance
स कर्म दुष्करं कृत्वा संग्रामे शत्रुतापन: । शन्रुभिर्निहतः संख्ये पृतनायां युधिछ्ठिर,युधिष्ठिर! वह शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाला वीर राजकुमार संग्राममें दुष्कर पराक्रम दिखाकर अन्तमें शत्रुओंके हाथसे वहाँ सेनाके बीचमें मारा गया
sa karma duṣkaraṁ kṛtvā saṅgrāme śatrutāpanaḥ | śatrubhir nihataḥ saṅkhye pṛtanāyāṁ yudhiṣṭhira ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, setelah menunaikan perbuatan yang sukar dicapai di medan perang—pahlawan yang membakar semangat musuh itu—pada akhirnya gugur di sana juga, di tengah himpitan pertempuran, di antara bala tentara, oleh tangan para musuh.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: extraordinary valor and difficult achievements (duṣkara-karma) can still end in death, reminding the listener that battlefield success is unstable and that even the brave are subject to the harsh, impersonal outcomes of conflict.
Vyāsa addresses Yudhiṣṭhira, describing a warrior who displayed formidable prowess in battle and tormented his foes, but was ultimately killed by enemies amid the assembled army in the thick of combat.