Shloka 8
उपयातानतिरथान् भीष्मं शान्तनवं कृपम् कर्ण दुर्योधन द्रोणं द्रोणपुत्रं च घड् रथान्,'सुना है, शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म, कृपाचार्य, कर्ण, दुर्योधन, द्रोणाचार्य तथा द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा--ये छः अतिरथी वीर युद्धके लिये आये हैं'
vaiśampāyana uvāca — upayātān atirathān bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ kṛpaṃ karṇaṃ duryodhanaṃ droṇaṃ droṇaputraṃ cāśvatthāmānam—ete ṣaḍ atirathā vīrā yuddhāya samupāgatāḥ.
“Tersiar kabar bahwa enam kesatria agung berderajat atiratha telah datang untuk bertempur—Bhīṣma putra Śāntanu, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Duryodhana, Droṇa, dan putra Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the gravity of impending conflict by naming elite warriors (atirathas). Ethically, it highlights how the presence of renowned elders and teachers in war intensifies the moral weight of the struggle and foreshadows the difficult choices demanded by kṣatriya-dharma.
The narrator reports that six foremost Kaurava-side champions—Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Duryodhana, Droṇa, and Aśvatthāmā—have arrived and assembled with the intention of fighting, signaling a major escalation toward battle.