Shloka 8
कुरूनापततो दृष्ट्वा धृष्टद्युम्नस्य रक्षणे । को मन्त्र: पाण्डवेष्वासीत् तनन््ममाचक्ष्व संजय
kurūṇāṁ patito dṛṣṭvā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya rakṣaṇe | ko mantraḥ pāṇḍaveṣv āsīt tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Seeing the Kuru warriors fall while protecting Dhṛṣṭadyumna, what strategy or guiding counsel did the Pāṇḍavas have? Tell me that, Sañjaya.”
घतरयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outcomes in war are tied not only to valor but also to leadership, planning, and collective resolve (mantra). It frames ethical reflection on responsibility: leaders must understand the causes behind heavy losses and the strategic intent guiding actions.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of severe Kuru casualties connected with the effort to protect or engage Dhṛṣṭadyumna, asks Sañjaya to explain what plan or counsel the Pāṇḍavas were following—implying that their coordinated strategy is causing significant Kuru losses.