Shloka 23
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
बृहत्क्षत्रं तु कैकेयं सुकुमारं हयोत्तमा:,इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि संशप्तकवधपर्वणि हयध्वजादिकथने त्रयोविंशो 5 ध्याय: इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत संशप्तकवधपर्वमें अश्ष और ध्वज आदिका वर्णनविषयक तेईसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
bṛhatkṣatraṃ tu kaikeyyaṃ sukumāraṃ hayottamāḥ | iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi saṃśaptakavadha-parvaṇi hayadhvajādikathane trayoviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “(There was) the Kaikeya prince of mighty warrior-stock, yet youthful and tender; and there were excellent horses.” Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parva, in the section on the slaying of the Saṃśaptakas, the twenty-third chapter—describing horses, banners, and related martial insignia—concludes. The passage functions as a closing colophon, marking the end of a chapter that catalogues the visible emblems of war: the quality of warriors, their mounts, and their standards, which signal prowess, lineage, and intent on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is primarily a colophon, but it underscores an epic ethic: in war, outward emblems—horses, banners, and lineage-markers—publicly signify a warrior’s identity and resolve. The narrative reminds readers that kṣatriya duty is enacted not only through inner intent but also through visible commitments and responsibilities borne before all.
Sañjaya’s report reaches a formal close for the chapter. The line mentions a Kaikeya warrior of great martial stock and excellent horses, then the text transitions into the concluding rubric stating that the twenty-third chapter—on horses, banners, and related details—has ended within the Droṇa Parva’s Saṃśaptaka-slaying section.