Shloka 73
दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः
Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva
आकर्णपलित: श्यामो ववसाशीतिपञ्चक: । रणे पर्यचरद् द्रोणो वृद्ध: षोडशवर्षवत्,जिनके कानतकके बाल पक गये थे, शरीरकी कान्ति श्याम थी तथा जो पचासी (या चार सौ) वर्षोकी अवस्थाके बूढ़े थे, वे द्रोणाचार्य रणक्षेत्रमें सोलह वर्षके नवजवानकी भाँति विचर रहे थे
ākarṇapalitaḥ śyāmo vayasāśītipañcakaḥ | raṇe paryacarad droṇo vṛddhaḥ ṣoḍaśavarṣavat ||
Sañjaya said: Though his hair had turned grey around the ears, though his complexion was dark, and though he was advanced in years—eighty-five—old Droṇa moved about the battlefield like a sixteen-year-old youth. The verse underscores how, in the grip of war-duty and martial resolve, age and bodily decline are eclipsed by trained discipline and fierce commitment to one’s chosen cause.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of disciplined training and unwavering resolve: even advanced age does not necessarily diminish effectiveness when one is driven by duty and martial commitment. It also invites ethical reflection on how personal prowess can be harnessed in service of a cause—raising questions about responsibility in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa, though visibly aged (grey at the ears and eighty-five years old), is actively ranging across the battlefield with the energy and agility of a sixteen-year-old, emphasizing his formidable presence in the fighting.