Shloka 1
Droṇānīka-praveśa: Arjuna’s respectful appeal to Droṇa and renewed advance toward Jayadratha (द्रोणानीकप्रवेशः)
नारदजी कहते हैं--सृंजय! राजा अमूर्तरयके पुत्र गयकी भी मृत्यु सुनी गयी है। राजा गयने सौ वर्षोतक नियमपूर्वक अग्निहोत्र करके होमावशिष्ट अन्नका ही भोजन किया
nārada uvāca—sṛñjaya! rājñaḥ amūrtarayaputrasya gayasya api mṛtyuḥ śrutā. rājā gayaḥ śata-varṣāṇi niyamapūrvakam agnihotraṃ kṛtvā homāvaśiṣṭa-annam eva bhojanaṃ cakāra.
Nārada berkata: “Wahai Sṛñjaya, turut didengar bahawa Raja Gaya, putera Amūrtaraya, juga menemui ajalnya. Raja Gaya selama seratus tahun penuh memelihara Agnihotra dengan disiplin yang ketat, dan hanya menyantap makanan yang berbaki setelah persembahan korban.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even exemplary ritual discipline and long-term vow-based living do not exempt one from mortality; the passage highlights dharmic steadiness (niyama, agnihotra) while reminding the listener of impermanence and the limits of worldly life.
Narada reports to Sṛñjaya the death of King Gaya and briefly summarizes Gaya’s life of strict Vedic observance—performing Agnihotra for a hundred years and eating only the sacrificial remainder—setting up a reflective exemplum within the broader Drona Parva discourse.