Shloka 4
Droṇanidhana-anantaraṃ sainya-viṣādaḥ and Karṇa-pravṛttiḥ
After Droṇa’s fall: army despondency and Karṇa’s advance
सम्पूज्य च यथान्यायं धृतराष्ट्र महीपतिम् । हा कष्टमिति चोक््त्वा स ततो वचनमाददे,राजा धृतराष्ट्रका यथायोग्य सम्मान करके संजयने “हाय! बड़े कष्टकी बात है” ऐसा कहकर फिर इस प्रकार वार्तालाप आरम्भ किया--
sampūjya ca yathānyāyaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ mahīpatim | hā kaṣṭam iti coktvā sa tato vacanam ādade ||
Having duly paid respectful homage to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the proper manner, he exclaimed, “Alas, how grievous this is!” and then proceeded to speak further. The line frames the scene with courtly decorum and a moral undertone: even amid calamity, right conduct and reverence are observed, while the lament signals the heavy ethical cost of the unfolding war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in moments of catastrophe, one should uphold yathā-nyāya—propriety and rightful conduct—by showing due respect to elders and rulers; the lament “hā kaṣṭam” highlights the moral weight and sorrow that accompany adharma-driven conflict.
The narrator reports that, after formally honoring King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the speaker expresses grief—“Alas, this is grievous”—and then begins the next portion of his account, setting a solemn tone for the events to be described.