Shloka 13
Droṇa’s Withdrawal, Death, and the Kaurava Rout (द्रोणनिधन-प्रसङ्गः)
ते चोदिता: पार्थिवसत्तमेन ततः प्रह्ृष्टा जगृहुः प्रदीपान् । देवर्षिगन्धर्वसुर्िसऊड्ूघा विद्याधराश्चाप्सरसां गणाश्न
te coditāḥ pārthivasattamena tataḥ prahṛṣṭā jagṛhuḥ pradīpān | devarṣigandharvasurair uḍūghā vidyādharāś cāpsarasāṃ gaṇāś ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: Didorong oleh raja yang terunggul, mereka pun bersukacita lalu mengambil pelita-pelita itu. Bersama mereka hadir pula rombongan resi ilahi, Gandharva, Sura, Vidyādhara, serta kumpulan Apsara—berhimpun seakan menyambut dan merestui titah sang raja.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power and responsibility of royal command: when a ruler directs an action, collective energy and morale can rise, and even the wider world (symbolized by celestial beings) is portrayed as witnessing and responding. Ethically, it points to leadership shaping communal conduct—toward auspicious order or toward escalation—depending on the ruler’s intent.
At the prompting of the foremost king, the assembled beings—now delighted—take up lamps/torches. The scene is amplified by the presence of celestial groups (devarṣis, gandharvas, suras, vidyādharas, apsarases), suggesting a grand, auspicious, and publicly witnessed moment within the unfolding events of the war narrative.