Shloka 28
द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय १) — भीष्मनिधनानन्तरं धृतराष्ट्रस्य शोकः, सेनायाः स्थितिः, कर्णस्मरणं च
Droṇa Parva, Chapter 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief after Bhīṣma’s fall and the army’s reorientation toward Karṇa
शरभाहतसिंहेव महती गिरिकन्दरा । भारती भरतश्रेष्ठे पतिते जाह्नवीसुते
śarabhāhata-siṁheva mahatī girikandarā | bhāratī bharataśreṣṭhe patite jāhnavīsute ||
Sañjaya said: When the best of the Bharatas—the son of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)—fell, the great Bhārata host collapsed, like a vast mountain-cavern when a lion within it has been struck down by a śarabha. The image underscores how the fall of a single righteous and formidable protector can shake the morale and cohesion of an entire army in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical weight of righteous leadership: when a central pillar of strength and restraint falls, collective order and morale can quickly disintegrate. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme of impermanence—great power and protection are not lasting, so dharma must be upheld by many, not relied upon in one person alone.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after Bhīṣma (the son of Gaṅgā) fell in battle, the Kuru host faltered and collapsed in spirit and formation. The simile compares the army’s condition to a great mountain-cave rendered desolate when the lion within has been struck down by a śarabha.