Shloka 243
शूरं शिखण्डिन: पुत्रम॒क्षदेवमुदावहन् । शिखण्डीके शूरवीर पुत्र ऋक्षदेवको पद्मकेः समान वर्ण और निर्मल नेत्रवाले बाह्विकः देशके सजे-सजाये घोड़ोंने रणभूमिमें पहुँचाया
sañjaya uvāca | śūraṃ śikhaṇḍinaḥ putram akṣadevam udāvahan |
Sañjaya berkata: Para pahlawan membawa Akṣadeva, putera gagah Śikhaṇḍin, masuk ke medan perang. Dalam suasana dharma peperangan, rangkap ini menonjolkan bagaimana keturunan, keberanian peribadi, dan sokongan tersusun pihak sendiri (rata perang dan kuda) menjadi alat yang menempatkan seorang pejuang ke gelanggang tempat kewajipan dan kebinasaan bertaut.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic’s recurrent ethic that in wartime a warrior’s role is shaped by dharma as understood through lineage and martial obligation, while also showing how individual valor depends on collective support and orderly deployment.
Sanjaya reports that Akṣadeva, the brave son of Śikhaṇḍin, is brought forward and conveyed into the battle—an announcement of a combatant’s arrival and readiness within the unfolding formations of the Drona Parva conflict.