Shloka 15
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय ८७: सात्यकेरनुयात्रा
Sātyaki’s resolve and departure to reach Arjuna
द्रोणपुत्र॑ महेष्वासं गायना नर्तकाश्न ये । अत्यर्थमुपतिष्ठन्ति तेषां न श्रूयते ध्वनि:,महाधनुर्धर द्रोणपुत्रकी सेवामें जो गायक और नर्तक अधिक उपस्थित होते थे, उनकी ध्वनि अब नहीं सुनायी देती है
Droṇaputraṁ maheṣvāsaṁ gāyanā nartakāś ca ye | atyartham upatiṣṭhanti teṣāṁ na śrūyate dhvaniḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Those singers and dancers who once attended the mighty archer, Droṇa’s son, in great numbers—now their sound is no longer heard.” In the midst of war, the king marks how the familiar signs of honor and celebration around a powerful warrior have fallen silent, hinting at the fragility of worldly glory and the ominous turn of events.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly honor: the sounds of celebration and service that surround power can vanish abruptly under the pressure of fate and war, reminding one not to rely on external markers of greatness.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on Droṇa’s son, Aśvatthāmā, noting that the entertainers who once crowded around him are no longer heard—an observation that signals a change in circumstances and a darkening atmosphere amid the ongoing conflict.