Shloka 28
Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Survey: The Fallen and the Onset of Funeral Rites (शल्य-भगीरथ-भीष्म-द्रोणादि-दर्शनम्)
यस्य प्रसादाद् वीभत्सु: पाण्डव: कर्म दुष्करम् | चकार स हत:ः शेते नैनमस्त्राण्यपालयन्,जिनके प्रसादसे पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने दुष्कर कर्म किया है, वे ही आचार्य यहाँ मरे पड़े हैं। उन अस्त्रोंने इनकी रक्षा नहीं की
yasya prasādād vībhatsuḥ pāṇḍavaḥ karma duṣkaram | cakāra sa hataḥ śete nainam astrāṇy apālayan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “By whose favor Vībhatsu (Arjuna), the son of Pāṇḍu, accomplished deeds that were nearly impossible—he, that very teacher, now lies here slain. Not even his weapons protected him.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the greatest mastery—teacherly authority, martial skill, and possession of powerful weapons—cannot ultimately shield a person from the consequences of time, destiny, and the moral complexity of war. The verse underscores impermanence and the limits of external power.
In the aftermath of the great battle, the narrator points to the fallen ācārya (Droṇa), recalling that Arjuna achieved extraordinary feats through his instruction and favor. Yet now that very teacher lies dead, and his famed weapons did not save him.