Shloka 16
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
तेषु राजसहस्रेषु तावकेषु महात्मसु । एको दुर्योधनो राजन्नदृश्यत भुशं क्षत:,राजन! आपके दलके उन सहस्रों महामनस्वी राजाओंमें एकमात्र दुर्योधन ही उस समय दिखायी देता था; परंतु वह भी बहुत घायल हो चुका था
teṣu rāja-sahasreṣu tāvakeṣu mahātmasu | eko duryodhano rājann adṛśyata bhṛśaṃ kṣataḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, di antara ribuan raja yang berhati luhur di pihak tuanku, pada saat itu hanya Duryodhana kelihatan—dan dia pun telah parah terluka.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical cost of war and unchecked ambition: even vast armies and many allies can end in isolation, and the pursuit of dominance culminates in visible suffering rather than glory.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that among the many Kaurava kings, only Duryodhana is seen at that moment, and he is severely wounded—signaling the near-collapse of the Kaurava force and Duryodhana’s desperate condition.