Shloka 8
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
कृष्णास्तु मेघसंकाशा अवहनुत्तमौजसम् | दुर्धर्षायाभिसंधाय क्रुद्धं युद्धाय भारत,भरतनन्दन! दुर्धर्ष युद्धका संकल्प लेकर क्रोधमें भरे हुए उत्तमौजाको मेघके समान श्यामवर्णवाले घोड़े युद्धस्थलकी ओर ले जा रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | kṛṣṇāstu meghasaṅkāśā avahan uttamaujasaṃ | durdharṣāyābhisaṃdhāya kruddhaṃ yuddhāya bhārata bharatanandana ||
Sañjaya said: The dark, cloud-hued horses bore Uttamaujas forward. Having set their aim upon the hard-to-assail foe, and inflamed with wrath for battle, they carried him toward the field—O Bhārata, O delight of the Bharatas. The verse underscores how resolve and anger propel warriors into combat, even as such passions intensify the moral weight of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how determination (abhisaṃdhāya) coupled with anger (kruddha) drives action in war; ethically, it points to the danger of wrath intensifying violence, even when a warrior acts under the pressures of kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya describes Uttamaujas being carried into battle by dark, cloud-like horses, as he fixes his intent on a formidable opponent and advances in a wrathful fighting mood.