Shloka 193
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
कथं नाभ्यतरंस्तात पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम् । क्या द्रोणाचार्यके रथको वहन करनेवाले वे शीघ्रगामी अश्व पराजित हो गये थे? तात! द्रोणाचार्यके सुवर्णमय रथमें जुते हुए और उन्हीं नरवीर आचार्यकी सवारीमें काम आनेवाले वे घोड़े पाण्डव-सेनाको पार कैसे नहीं कर सके?
kathaṁ nābhyataraṁs tāta pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Bagaimana mungkin, wahai anakku, mereka tidak dapat menerobos dan menyeberangi barisan tempur Pandawa? Apakah kuda-kuda cepat—yang menarik kereta emas Droṇācārya dan menjadi tunggangan sang guru pahlawan—telah dikalahkan, sehingga tak sanggup membawanya menembus bala Pandawa?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of mere martial excellence: even a famed commander with swift horses and a splendid chariot can be checked by an opposing force. It also reflects Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxious attachment—his tendency to measure events by victory and defeat rather than by the deeper moral causes driving the war.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about why Droṇācārya’s chariot—drawn by swift horses—could not penetrate and pass through the Pandavas’ army formation, implying surprise that Droṇa’s advance was obstructed.