Shloka 26
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
धष्टकेतुश्न चेदीनामृूष भोडतिबलोदित: । वधायाभ्यद्रवद् द्रोणं पतड़ इव पावकम्,अत्यन्त बलसम्पन्न चेदिराज धुृष्टकेतु द्रोणाचार्यका वध करनेके लिये उनकी ओर उसी प्रकार दौड़ा, जैसे फतिंगा आगपर टूट पड़ता है
Dhṛṣṭaketuś ca cedīnām ṛṣabho ’tibalodyataḥ | vadhāyābhyadravad droṇaṁ pataṅga iva pāvakam ||
Sañjaya said: Dhṛṣṭaketu, the foremost of the Cedis, exceedingly powerful and fully roused, rushed toward Droṇa with the intent to slay him—like a moth hurtling into a blazing fire. The scene underscores the war’s grim ethic: heroic resolve and loyalty can drive a warrior into near-certain destruction when duty and vengeance eclipse prudence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense martial duty and resolve can propel a warrior toward peril without hesitation. Ethically, it points to the tragic ambiguity of dharma in war: courage and loyalty may be admirable, yet they can also lead to self-destructive action when directed by wrath, obligation, or the momentum of battle.
Sañjaya describes Dhṛṣṭaketu, leader among the Cedis, charging straight at Droṇa intending to kill him. The comparison to a moth rushing into fire emphasizes both Dhṛṣṭaketu’s fearless determination and the deadly, almost inescapable danger of confronting Droṇa at this stage of the battle.