Shloka 23
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
स पपात रणे तूर्ण भारद्वाजशराहतः । धनुस्त्यक्त्वा शरांश्वैव पितुरेव समीपत:,द्रोणाचार्यके बाणोंसे घायल होकर शंख पिताके पास ही धनुष-बाण छोड़कर तुरंत ही रणभूमिमें गिर पड़ा
sa papāta raṇe tūrṇaṃ bhāradvāja-śarāhataḥ | dhanus tyaktvā śarāṃś caiva pitur eva samīpataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck down by the arrows of Bhāradvāja (Droṇācārya), he quickly fell on the battlefield. Casting aside his bow and arrows, he collapsed right near his father—an image of war’s harsh inevitability, where even valor and lineage cannot shield one from the consequences of combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war: prowess and noble birth do not prevent suffering, and battle inevitably brings loss. It evokes compassion and sobriety about violence, even while situated within the framework of kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior is struck by Droṇa’s arrows and falls swiftly on the battlefield, dropping his bow and arrows, and collapsing close to his father—highlighting the immediacy and tragedy of combat.