Shloka 9
पाण्डवेषु च नाथेषु वृष्णिवीरेषु वा विभो । पज्चालेषु च वीरेषु हत: केनास्थनाथवत्,'शक्तिशाली पुत्र! तुम्हारे रक्षक पाण्डवों, वृष्णिवीरों तथा पांचालवीरोंके होते हुए भी तुम्हें अनाथकी भाँति किसने मारा?
pāṇḍaveṣu ca nātheṣu vṛṣṇivīreṣu vā vibho | pāñcāleṣu ca vīreṣu hataḥ kenāsthanāthavat ||
Sañjaya said: “O mighty one, when the Pāṇḍavas were there as protectors, and the heroic Vṛṣṇis and the valiant Pāñcālas as well—by whom were you slain, as though you had no guardian at all?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between human reliance on protectors (allies, heroes, guardians) and the harsh reality of war where even the well-protected can fall. It implicitly questions how dharma, strength, and support can still be overcome by circumstance, strategy, or destiny.
Sañjaya reports and questions the manner of a warrior’s death: despite the presence of powerful allies—Pāṇḍavas, Vṛṣṇi heroes, and Pāñcāla warriors—the person addressed was killed as if abandoned. The line conveys surprise and grief, and it sets up an explanation of who struck the fatal blow and under what conditions.