Shloka 426
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणरथारोহণं सात्यकेः प्रतिरक्षणं च | Dhrishtadyumna Boards Droṇa’s Chariot; Sātyaki’s Counter-Protection
नूनमद्य रजोध्वस्तं रणरेणु: करिष्यति । “उसका वह सुन्दर मुख सदा छत्रकी छायामें रहने योग्य था; परंतु आज युद्धभूमिमें उड़ती हुई धूल उसे आच्छादित कर देगी
nūnam adya rajodhvastaṃ raṇareṇuḥ kariṣyati |
Sañjaya said: “Surely today the dust of battle will cover him in grime. That face, so fitting to remain always beneath the shade of a royal parasol, will now be veiled by the swirling war-dust on the battlefield.” The line underscores the ethical tragedy of war: those born to honor and protection are reduced to the same harsh fate as all combatants when dharma collapses into violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral cost of war: worldly status and the protections of royalty (symbolized by the parasol’s shade) cannot shield anyone from the degrading, leveling reality of violence. It evokes compassion and a critique of how conflict overturns dignity.
Sañjaya, describing events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, foresees a noble warrior’s face—once suited to royal comfort—being covered by the dust raised on the battlefield, emphasizing the immediacy and harshness of the ongoing combat.