Shloka 1
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! क्रोधमें भरे हुए भीमसेन आदि जो योद्धा द्रोणाचार्यपर चढ़ाई कर रहे थे, उन सबके रथोंके (घोड़े-ध्वजा आदि) चिह्न कैसे थे? यह मुझे बताओ
Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca—Sañjaya, krodhena pūrṇā Bhīmasenādayo ye yoddhā Droṇācāryam abhyāpatanta, teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ rathānāṁ (aśva-dhvajādi) cihnāni kīdṛśāni āsan? etan me brūhi.
Dhritarashtra said: “Sanjaya, as Bhimasena and the other warriors—filled with wrath—were charging against Acharya Drona, what were the identifying emblems on their chariots, such as their horses and banners? Tell me this.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (krodha) drives action in war and how external symbols—banners, horses, and chariot emblems—serve as markers of identity, allegiance, and intent. Ethically, it points to the tension between kṣatriya duty in battle and the destabilizing force of wrath that can eclipse discernment.
Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya to describe the distinguishing signs on the chariots of Bhima and the other warriors who are charging at Drona. The question sets up a detailed battlefield catalogue of standards and insignia, a common epic device to identify combatants and heighten the drama of the encounter.