Shloka 426
द्रुपदं च विराटं च प्रेषयामास मृत्यवे । तत्पश्चात् शत्रुमर्दन आचार्य द्रोणने दो पानीदार भल्लोंसे मारकर राजा ट्रुपद और विराटको यमराजके पास भेज दिया
drupadaṃ ca virāṭaṃ ca preṣayāmāsa mṛtyave | tatpaścāt śatrumardana ācārya droṇaḥ pāṇidāra-bhallaiḥ mārayan rājānaṃ drupadaṃ virāṭaṃ ca yamarājasya samīpaṃ preṣayāmāsa |
Sañjaya said: Then the foe-crushing preceptor Droṇa struck down King Drupada and King Virāṭa with sharp, hand-driven barbed arrows, and sent them to Death—an episode that underscores the terrible moral cost of war, where even venerable kings fall when the battle’s fury eclipses restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethical weight of war: even renowned kings and elders can be cut down when conflict escalates, reminding the listener that victory in battle often carries irreversible human and moral loss.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, described as a destroyer of foes, strikes down Drupada and Virāṭa with sharp barbed arrows, effectively sending them to death (to Yama’s realm).