Shloka 40
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
पुरस्तात् के च वीरस्य युध्यमानस्य संयुगे | के च तस्मिंस्तनूंस्त्यकत्वा प्रतीपं मृत्युमाव्रजन्
purastāt ke ca vīrasya yudhyamānasya saṃyuge | ke ca tasmiṃs tanūṃs tyaktvā pratīpaṃ mṛtyum āvrajan |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Quem se mantinha à frente daquele herói enquanto ele lutava no auge do combate? Quem guardava sua roda direita e quem a esquerda? E quem, abandonando o próprio corpo, enfrentou o inimigo e foi ao encontro da morte naquele campo?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: protecting one’s leader, holding formation, and meeting death without clinging to the body—an ethical frame where courage and duty are valued over self-preservation.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya for details of the battlefield arrangement—who stood at the front, who protected the flanks (right and left wheel), and which warriors confronted the enemy so resolutely that they accepted death.