Shloka 206
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
तेषां तु षट् सहस्राणि ये शिखण्डिनमन्वयु: । पांचालोंके जो बारह हजार महारथी युद्धमें लड़ रहे थे, उनमेंसे छः हजार इस समय शिखण्डीके पीछे चलते थे
teṣāṃ tu ṣaṭ-sahasrāṇi ye śikhaṇḍinam anvayuḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Dalam kalangan para pahlawan itu, enam ribu orang mengikuti di belakang Śikhaṇḍin. Dalam himpitan pertempuran, sebahagian besar bala Pāñcāla menyusun barisan bersamanya, menegaskan bahawa formasi dan pemimpin yang dipilih membentuk bukan sahaja strategi, malah juga pertaruhan dharma dalam peperangan itu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective action in war depends on chosen leadership and alignment; large numbers gathering behind a figure like Śikhaṇḍin shows the ethical weight of command—decisions about whom to follow shape the course of violence and responsibility within kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports battlefield positioning: six thousand warriors move in Śikhaṇḍin’s wake, indicating a significant contingent forming behind him as the fighting intensifies.