Shloka 12
पज्चाला निहताः: सर्वे धृष्टद्युम्नपुरोगमा: । द्रुपदस्यात्मजाश्रैव द्रौपदेयाश्व पातिता:
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | pañcālā nihatāḥ sarve dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ | drupadasyātmajāś caiva draupadeyāś ca pātitāḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: All the Pañcālas were slain—led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Drupada’s sons as well, and the sons of Draupadī too, were struck down. The verse underscores the grim moral aftermath of war: even the righteous side is not spared devastating loss, and victory cannot erase the ethical weight of mass killing and the suffering it leaves behind.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: even those aligned with dharma suffer irreparable losses. It points to the sobering truth that violence multiplies grief, and that triumph in battle does not prevent moral and emotional devastation.
Vaiśaṃpāyana reports the destruction of the Pañcāla forces, including their leader Dhṛṣṭadyumna, along with Drupada’s sons and Draupadī’s sons. This belongs to the lament-filled aftermath where the scale of slaughter is recounted and mourned.