Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा स्त्रीणां च आर्तनादः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Collapse and the Lament of the Palace Women
राजेन्द्र! युद्धमें द्रोणाचार्यको मारा गया देख खूनसे रँँगे हुए इन सैनिकोंके शस्त्र हाथोंसे छूटकर गिर पड़े ।। तानि बद्धान्यरिष्टानि लम्बमानानि भारत । अदृश्यन्त महाराज नक्षत्राणि यथा दिवि,भरतवंशी महाराज! कमर आदिमें बँधकर लटकते हुए वे अस्त्र-शस्त्र आकाशसे टूटते हुए नक्षत्रोंक समान दिखायी दे रहे थे
rājendra! yuddhe droṇācāryaṁ hataṁ dṛṣṭvā rudhireṇa rañjitānāṁ sainikānāṁ śastrāṇi hastebhyaḥ pracyutāni nipetuḥ. tāni baddhāny ariṣṭāni lambamānāni bhārata, adṛśyanta mahārāja nakṣatrāṇi yathā divi.
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai tuan segala raja, apabila mereka melihat Droṇācārya gugur di medan perang, para askar yang berlumuran darah melepaskan senjata dari tangan mereka lalu ia jatuh. Senjata-senjata itu, terikat pada ikat pinggang dan terjuntai, tampak—wahai Bhārata—bagaikan bintang-bintang yang terlerai lalu jatuh dari langit; suatu gambaran akan kejutan bala tentera, lunturnya tekad, dan kekacauan moral yang menyusul setelah gugurnya seorang guru yang dimuliakan dalam perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the death of a revered figure (a teacher and moral anchor) can shatter collective resolve: even battle-hardened warriors lose grip—literally and ethically—showing the fragility of human steadiness amid violence and grief.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, upon seeing Droṇa killed, blood-smeared soldiers drop their weapons; the weapons hanging from their belts look like stars falling from the sky, conveying panic, stunned disbelief, and a sudden collapse of fighting spirit.