Shloka 2

कर्णसेनापत्यारम्भः — Karṇa’s Appointment and the Report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Chapter 1

Devanagari script

ते द्रोणमनुशोचन्त: कश्मलाभिहतौजस: । पर्युपासन्त शोकार्तास्तत: शारद्वतीसुतम्‌,मोहवश उनका बल और उत्साह नष्ट-सा हो गया था। वे द्रोणाचार्यके लिये बारंबार चिन्ता करते हुए शोकसे व्याकुल हो कृपीकुमार अश्वत्थामाके पास उसके चारों ओर बैठ गये

Transliteration

te droṇam anuśocantaḥ kaśmalābhihatāujasaḥ | paryupāsanta śokārtās tataḥ śāradvatīsutam ||

Translation

അവർ ദ്രോണനെക്കുറിച്ച് വിലപിച്ചു; മോഹം മൂലം ബലവും ഉത്സാഹവും ക്ഷയിച്ചവർ, ശോകാർത്തരായി ശാരദ്വതീപുത്രനായ (അശ്വത്ഥാമാവിന്റെ) ചുറ്റും ഇരുന്നിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

तेthey

द्रोणम्Drona

अनुशोचन्तःlamenting (over)

कश्मलाभिहतौजसःwhose vigor was struck down by despair/confusion

पर्युपासन्तthey sat around / attended

शोक-आर्ताःdistressed by grief

ततःthen / thereafter

शारद्वती-सुतम्the son of Śāradvatī (Aśvatthāman)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Aśvatthāmā

Śāradvatī (Kṛpī)

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 grief and kaśmala (moral bewilderment) can drain ojas (inner strength), leading people to seek support in familiar authority or kinship. In the epic’s ethical frame, unchecked sorrow and confusion can become a gateway to further harmful choices in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Droṇa’s fall, the Kaurava side is shaken. Lamenting their teacher and overwhelmed by despair, they gather around Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), sitting close to him as they mourn and look for direction.