Shloka 19
स कल्याणि बन दुर्ग दूरं द्रौणिरितो गत: । तस्य त्वं पातनं संख्ये कथं ज्ञास्यसि शोभने
sā kalyāṇi vana-durga-dūraṃ drauṇir ito gataḥ | tasya tvaṃ pātanaṃ saṅkhye kathaṃ jñāsyasi śobhane ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O auspicious lady, Drauṇi has gone far from this forest stronghold. How, then, O fair one, will you come to know of his downfall in battle?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of knowledge amid war: when a key actor has moved beyond one’s reach, certainty about outcomes (such as a warrior’s defeat) becomes difficult. It underscores how conflict produces distance, confusion, and unreliable access to truth.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) has gone far away from the forest stronghold. Addressing a woman respectfully, he questions how she could learn of Drauṇi’s possible downfall in battle when he is no longer nearby or within immediate observation.