Shloka 29
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
धार्तराष्ट्रबले शेषास्त्रयः समितिमर्दना: । कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च द्रोणपुत्रश्न वीर्यवान्
nārada uvāca |
dhārtarāṣṭrabale śeṣās trayaḥ samitimardanāḥ |
kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca droṇaputraś ca vīryavān ||
Nārada berkata: “Wahai Mādhava yang berlengan perkasa, dengarkan juga daripadaku nama-nama mereka yang tidak terbunuh di sana. Dalam bala tentera Duryodhana, hanya tiga wira yang masih tinggal—Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, dan putera Droṇa yang gagah, Aśvatthāmā—semuanya penghancur barisan musuh yang ganas.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral and existential residue of war: even after vast slaughter, a few powerful survivors remain, and their continued agency can shape further consequences. It invites reflection on how violence rarely ends neatly and how dharma must be navigated amid lingering enmity and unresolved outcomes.
Narada informs Krishna (Madhava) that, from Duryodhana’s side, only three notable warriors are left alive—Kripa, Kritavarma, and Ashvatthama—identifying them as formidable battle-crushers who survived the carnage.