Shloka 72
द्रोणस्तु दिवमास्थाय नक्षत्रपथमाविशत् | अहमेव तठदाद्वाक्ष॑ द्रोणस्प निधनं नृप
droṇas tu divam āsthāya nakṣatrapatham āviśat | aham eva tathā dadau vācaṃ droṇasya nidhanaṃ nṛpa ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Droṇa, setelah meninggalkan dunia ini, mencapai syurga lalu memasuki laluan bintang-bintang. Dan aku sendiri pada saat itu menyampaikan kata-kata itu kepada tuanku, wahai raja, mengumumkan kejatuhan Droṇa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames death in battle not merely as an end but as a transition, presenting Drona’s departure as ascent to a celestial state; it also highlights the ethical weight of truthful witnessing—Sanjaya’s duty is to report events to the king without concealment.
After Drona’s fall, Sanjaya tells Dhritarashtra that Drona has departed to heaven and entered the celestial ‘path of the stars,’ and that Sanjaya himself conveyed this news to the king.