Shloka 44
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
बहवो निहता: सूत महेन्द्रसमविक्रमा: । नानादेशसमावृत्ता: क्षत्रिया यत्र संजय
bahavo nihatāḥ sūta mahendrasamavikramāḥ | nānādeśasamāvṛttāḥ kṣatriyā yatra sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai Sūta, wahai Sañjaya, di sana ramai kṣatriya—setara gagahnya dengan Indra—telah terbunuh, para pahlawan yang berhimpun dari pelbagai negeri.”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tragic cost of war: even the most heroic and widely renowned kṣatriyas—gathered from many regions—are not spared. It implicitly questions pride in power and lineage, reminding the listener that valor does not guarantee protection from destruction when adharma and conflict escalate.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, overwhelmed by reports of the battle, asks about the scale of the slaughter. He notes that numerous warrior-kings, famed for Indra-like prowess and drawn from many lands to Kurukṣetra, have been killed, and he addresses Sañjaya as the bearer of this grim account.