Shloka 39
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
पतद्ं हि ग्रसेच्चाषो यथा क्षुद्रं बुभुक्षित: । तथा द्रोणो5ग्रसच्छूरो धृष्टकेतुं महाहवे,जैसे भूखा हुआ नीलकण्ठ छोटे फतिंगेकी खा जाता है, उसी प्रकार शूरवीर द्रोणाचार्यने उस महासमरमें धृष्टकेतुको अपने बाणोंका ग्रास बना लिया
patadāṃ hi grasec chāṣo yathā kṣudraṃ bubhukṣitaḥ | tathā droṇo 'grasac chūro dhṛṣṭaketuṃ mahāhave ||
Sañjaya berkata: Seperti burung berleher biru yang lapar menelan serangga kecil dengan pantas, demikianlah Droṇa sang wira, dalam pertempuran besar itu, menjadikan Dhṛṣṭaketu mangsa anak panahnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the asymmetry of power in war: when a master-warrior meets a comparatively vulnerable opponent, the outcome can be swift and consuming. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s grim realism—valor and skill operate within kṣatriya-dharma, yet the imagery also invites reflection on how easily life is extinguished in battle.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, fighting in the great engagement, overwhelms Dhṛṣṭaketu. The comparison to a hungry bird swallowing a small insect conveys the speed and inevitability with which Droṇa makes Dhṛṣṭaketu the ‘prey’ of his attack.