Shloka 23
द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय १) — भीष्मनिधनानन्तरं धृतराष्ट्रस्य शोकः, सेनायाः स्थितिः, कर्णस्मरणं च
Droṇa Parva, Chapter 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief after Bhīṣma’s fall and the army’s reorientation toward Karṇa
व्यावृत्तेडर्यम्णि राजेन्द्र पतिते जाह्नवीसुते । अमर्षवशमापन्ना: कालोपहतचेतस:,मोहात् तव सपुत्रस्य वधाच्छान्तनवस्थ च । कौरव्या मृत्युसाद्धूता: सहिता: सर्वराजभि: पुत्रसहित आपके मोह (अविवेक)-से और शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मका वध हो जानेसे समस्त राजाओंसहित सम्पूर्ण कुरुवंशी मृत्युके अधीन हो गये हैं
sañjaya uvāca |
vyāvṛtte ’ryamṇi rājendra patite jāhnavīsute |
amarṣavaśam āpannāḥ kālopahatacetasaḥ |
mohāt tava saputrasya vadhāc chāntanavasya ca |
kauravyā mṛtyusāddhūtāḥ sahitāḥ sarvarājabhiḥ ||
サञ्जयは言った。「大王よ、日が傾き、ジャーフナヴィーの子（ビーシュマ）が倒れたとき、カウラヴァたちは憤りに呑まれ、時（カーラ）の力により心は打ち砕かれていた。そなたの子の歩みによって生じた迷妄と、シャーンタヌの末裔が討たれたこととによって、彼らは諸王の同盟軍と共にありながら、まるで死の手にさらわれたかのようであった。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Kauravas’ crisis as a moral-psychological collapse: resentment (amarṣa) and delusion (moha) cloud judgment, while Kāla (Time) asserts inevitability. It implicitly critiques leadership driven by attachment and anger, showing how such states make even powerful coalitions ‘fall under Death’s dominion’—a warning about ethical discernment in governance and war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after Bhīṣma—son of Gaṅgā and descendant of Śāntanu—has fallen, the Kaurava side, despite being supported by many kings, is mentally shaken. Their morale and clarity are broken, and they appear as if being carried toward destruction.