Shloka 35

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

पलालकाण्डवर्णस्तु वार्थक्षेमिं तरस्विनम्‌ । ऊहुः सुतुमुले युद्धे हया: कृष्णा: स्वलंकृता:

Transliteration

palālakāṇḍavarṇas tu vārthakṣemiṁ tarasvinam | ūhuḥ sutumule yuddhe hayāḥ kṛṣṇāḥ svalankṛtāḥ ||

Translation

ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ତୁମୁଳ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ପଲାଳକାଣ୍ଡ ସଦୃଶ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣଛାୟାଯୁକ୍ତ, ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ କଳା ଘୋଡ଼ାମାନେ ବେଗଶାଳୀ ୱାର୍ଧକ୍ଷେମିଙ୍କୁ—ଧନ ଓ କ୍ଷେମର ରକ୍ଷକଙ୍କୁ—ବହନ କରି ଆଗେଇ ନେଲେ।

Word by Word

पलालकाण्डवर्णःhaving the color of a stalk of straw

तुbut/indeed

अर्थक्षेमिन्one who secures welfare and safety (prosperity-and-protection)

तरस्विनम्mighty/energetic

ऊहुःcarried/bore

सुतुमुलेin a very tumultuous (fierce) [situation]

युद्धेin battle

हयाःhorses

कृष्णाःblack/dark

स्वलंकृताःwell-adorned

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

horses (hayāḥ)

battle (yuddha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within the disorder of war, the verse highlights the deliberate sustaining of a leader through resources and protection (artha-kṣema). It points to the battlefield reality that power is not only personal valor but also the support systems—mounts, equipment, and preparedness—that uphold one’s aims and responsibilities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a swift, powerful figure being borne through a very tumultuous battle by well-adorned black horses, noted with a distinctive pale straw-stalk hue description. The focus is on the movement and martial conveyance amid intense fighting.