Shloka 173
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
एष शेते रथोपस्थे कृपो मद्धघाणपीडित: । “मेरे-जैसा कौन पुरुष ब्राह्मण एवं आचार्यसे द्रोह करेगा? ये ऋषिकुमार, मेरे आचार्य तथा गुरुवर द्रोणाचार्यके परम सखा कृप मेरे बाणोंसे पीड़ित हो रथकी बैठकमें पड़े हैं
eṣa śete rathopasthe kṛpo mad-dhaghāṇa-pīḍitaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “There lies Kṛpa upon the seat of his chariot, tormented by the blows of my arrows.” The line underscores the moral tension of battle: even a warrior may feel the sting of wrongdoing when his weapons strike a revered Brahmin-teacher figure, revealing how dharma and kinship strain under the necessities of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of warfare: even when combat is obligatory, striking a revered Brahmin-teacher figure evokes moral unease, reminding the listener that dharma is not merely victory but right conduct amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛpa has been hit by the speaker’s arrows and is lying on the chariot-seat, indicating Kṛpa’s momentary incapacitation in the ongoing battle scene of Droṇa Parva.