Shloka 20
Droṇanidhana-anantaraṃ sainya-viṣādaḥ and Karṇa-pravṛttiḥ
After Droṇa’s fall: army despondency and Karṇa’s advance
विप्रद्रुतानहं मन््ये निमग्नान् शोकसागरे । प्लवमानान् हते द्रोणे सन्ननौकानिवार्णवे,मैं तो समझता हूँ, द्रोणाचार्यके मारे जानेपर मेरे सारे सैनिक भाग चले होंगे, शोकके समुद्रमें डूब गये होंगे, उनकी दशा समुद्रमें नाव मारी जानेपर वहाँ हाथोंसे तैरनेवाले मनुष्योंके समान संकटपूर्ण हो गयी होगी
vipradrutān ahaṃ manye nimagnān śokasāgare | plavamānān hate droṇe sannanaukān ivārṇave ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra nói: “Ta nghĩ rằng khi Droṇa bị giết, các chiến binh của ta đã hoảng loạn mà tháo chạy—chìm xuống biển sầu. Như những người bị buộc phải bơi giữa đại dương sau khi thuyền bị đập tan, hẳn họ đã rơi vào cảnh hiểm nguy, bất lực.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the fall of a key protector (Droṇa) can collapse morale and order, turning disciplined warriors into panic-stricken survivors. Ethically, it underscores the human cost of war: victory and defeat alike generate overwhelming grief and disorientation.
After hearing of Droṇa’s death, Dhṛtarāṣṭra imagines the Kaurava forces breaking and fleeing. He describes their condition through a vivid simile: like people struggling to swim in the sea after their boat has been destroyed.