Shloka 216

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

आक्रीडन्तो वहन्ति सम सारड्रशबला हया: । आर्य! पुरुषसिंह शिशुपालके पुत्रके सारंगके समान चितकबरे अश्व खेल करते हुए-से वहन कर रहे थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ākrīḍanto vahanti sama-sāradr̥śa-balā hayāḥ | ārya! puruṣa-siṁha śiśu-pālaka-putrake sāraṅgake samāna-citakabare aśva khel karate hue-se vahana kara rahe the |

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ມ້າທັງຫຼາຍມີກຳລັງເທົ່າກັນ ແລະຮູບຮ່າງຄ້າຍຄືກັນ ດູເຫມືອນຈະພາຜູ້ຂີ່ໄປດ້ວຍການຫຼິ້ນ. ໂອ ທ່ານຜູ້ສູງສົງ! ບຸລຸດດຸດສິງເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນຖືກພາໄປດັ່ງວ່າເປັນໜຸ່ມນ້ອຍບໍ່ມີຄວາມກັງວົນ—ເຫມືອນເດັກລ້ຽງຝູງ ຫຼືເດັກຊາຍດຸດກວາງ—ກຳລັງຫຼິ້ນຢູ່ເທິງຫຼັງມ້າ. ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນການເຄື່ອນໄຫວອັນໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສົງຄາມ ຄວາມຊຳນານຂອງເຂົາເຮັດໃຫ້ການຂີ່ດູງ່າຍດາຍ ຊີ້ວ່າຝີມືແລະຄວາມໝັ້ນໃຈອາດປິດບັງຄວາມໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສະໜາມຮົບໄດ້.

Word by Word

आक्रीडन्तःplaying, sporting

वहन्तिthey carry / they bear

समtogether, equally

सारदृशबलाःhaving strength like arrows/reeds (i.e., very strong) (epithet)

हयाःhorses

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sanjaya)

ह

हयाः (horses)

प

पुरुषसिंह (lion-like warriors/men)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how disciplined skill and courage can make even perilous action appear effortless. Ethically, it points to the kṣatriya ideal of mastery and composure in duty, while also reminding the reader that the seeming ‘play’ occurs within the grave reality of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a battlefield movement where strong, well-matched horses carry heroic warriors. Their riding looks like playful sport, emphasizing speed, control, and confidence as the forces surge through the conflict in Droṇa Parva.