Shloka 26
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 114 — Karṇa–Bhīmasena Missile Exchange, Disarmament, and Arjuna’s Intervention
मदर्थेड्धिछिता नून॑ धार्तराष्ट्रस्य शासनात् । एतान् प्रमथ्य संग्रामे प्रियार्थ तव कौरव
madartheddhi kṣitā nūnaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya śāsanāt | etān pramathya saṃgrāme priyārtha tava kaurava ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Kaurava, sesungguhnya orang-orang ini telah didorong menuju kebinasaan demi aku, di bawah perintah putera Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Setelah menghancurkan mereka dalam pertempuran, dia berusaha menunaikan apa yang engkau kasihi.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral accountability in war: destruction occurs not only through fighters’ actions but also through the commands and desires of leaders. It implicitly questions the ethics of pursuing ‘what is dear’ (priyārtha) when it demands others’ ruin.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, indicating that warriors have been crushed in battle under the direction of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana), and that this violence is being carried out to fulfill what Dhṛtarāṣṭra holds dear—his attachment to the Kaurava cause and victory.