07.008
Pancharatra and Core: Hearing of the death of Drona, Dhritarashtra loses his balance and asks Sanjaya to pause for a while.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra said:
kiṁ kurvāṇaṁ raṇe droṇaṁ jaghnuḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayāḥ।tathā nipuṇamastreṣu sarvaśastrabhṛtāmapi ॥7-8-1॥
What actions did the Pandavas and Srinjayas take in the battle that led to the killing of Drona, who was exceptionally skilled in weaponry, even among all the warriors?
rathabhaṅgo babhūvā'sya dhanurvāśīryatāsyataḥ।pramatto vābhavaddroṇastato mṛtyumupeyivān ॥7-8-2॥
The chariot was broken and his bow shattered while he was shooting. Drona, either due to carelessness or fate, then met his death.
kathaṁ nu pārṣatastāta śatrubhirduṣpradharṣaṇam।kirantamiṣusaṅghātānrukmapuṅkhānanekaśaḥ ॥7-8-3॥
O father, how is it that the son of Pṛṣata, who is difficult to overpower by enemies, is showering numerous clusters of arrows with golden feathers?
kṣiprahastaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ kṛtinaṃ citrayodhinam।dūreṣupātinaṃ dāntamastrayuddhe ca pāragam ॥7-8-4॥
He is a quick-handed, excellent brahmin, skilled and a wonderful warrior, capable of striking from long distances, restrained, and an expert in the art of weaponry.
pāñcālaputro nyavadhīddiṣṭyā sa varamacyutam।kurvāṇaṃ dāruṇaṃ karma raṇe yattaṃ mahāratham ॥7-8-5॥
Fortunately, the son of Panchala killed the excellent Achyuta, who was engaged in performing a terrible deed in battle as a great chariot-warrior.
vyaktaṃ diṣṭaṃ hi balavatpauruṣāditi me matiḥ।yaddroṇo nihataḥ śūraḥ pārṣatena mahātmanā ॥7-8-6॥
It is my belief that destiny, when manifest, is indeed powerful due to manliness. This is evident as Droṇa, the valiant hero, was slain by the noble son of Pṛṣata.
astraṁ caturvidhaṁ vīre yasminnāsītpratiṣṭhitam।tamiṣvastravaraācāryaṁ droṇaṁ śaṁsasi me hatam ॥7-8-7॥
You tell me that Droṇa, the best teacher of archery, in whom the four types of weapons were established, has been killed.
śrutvā hataṃ rukmarathaṃ vaiyāghraparivāraṇam।jātarūpapariṣkāraṃ nādya śokamapānude ॥7-8-8॥
Upon hearing that Rukmaratha, who was surrounded by tigers and adorned with gold, had been killed, the grief was not dispelled today.
na nūnaṃ paraduḥkhena kaścinmriyati sañjaya।yatra droṇamahaṃ śrutvā hataṃ jīvāmi na mriye ॥7-8-9॥
Certainly, Sanjaya, no one dies from the sorrow of others. Even after hearing that Drona has been killed, I am still alive and do not die.
aśmasāramayaṃ nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ sudṛḍhaṃ mama।yacchrutvā nihataṃ droṇaṃ śatadhā na vidīryate ॥7-8-10॥
Indeed, my heart must be very strong and made of stone, for it does not shatter into a hundred pieces upon hearing of Droṇa's death.
brāhme vede tatheṣvastre yamupāsanguṇārthinaḥ।brāhmaṇā rājaputrāśca sa kathaṃ mṛtyunā hataḥ ॥7-8-11॥
In the Vedas and the weapons, both Brahmins and princes who seek virtues worship him; how then was he killed by death?
śoṣaṇaṃ sāgarasyeva meroriva visarpaṇam।patanaṃ bhāskarasyeva na mṛṣye droṇapātanam ॥7-8-12॥
Just as the drying up of the ocean or the spreading of Mount Meru or the setting of the sun is intolerable, so is the fall of Droṇa intolerable to me.
dṛptānāṃ pratiṣeddhāsīddhārmikānāṃ ca rakṣitā।yo'tyākṣītkṛpaṇasyārthe prāṇānapi parantapaḥ ॥7-8-13॥
He was a defender against the arrogant and a protector of the righteous, who sacrificed his life for the sake of the poor, O subduer of enemies.
mandānāṃ mama putrāṇāṃ jayāśā yasya vikrame।bṛhaspatyuśanastulyo buddhyā sa nihataḥ katham ॥7-8-14॥
How could he, who was as wise as Brihaspati and Ushanas and whose hope of victory lay in the prowess of my slow-witted sons, be slain?
te ca śoṇā bṛhanto'śvāḥ saindhavā hemamālinaḥ।rathe vātajavā yuktāḥ sarvaśabdātigā raṇe ॥7-8-15॥
The great red horses from the Sindhu region, adorned with gold, are yoked to the chariot. They move with the speed of the wind, surpassing all sounds in the battle.
balino ghoṣiṇo dāntāḥ saindhavāḥ sādhuvāhinaḥ।dṛḍhāḥ saṅgrāmamadhyeṣu kaccidāsanna vihvalāḥ ॥7-8-16॥
The strong and loud horses, well-tamed and good carriers, remain firm in the midst of battle, and are not confused, are they?
kariṇāṃ bṛṃhatāṃ yuddhe śaṅkhadundubhinisvanam।jyākṣepaśaravarṣāṇāṃ śastrāṇāṃ ca sahiṣṇavaḥ ॥7-8-17॥
In the battle, the great elephants endured the sounds of conches and drums, the release of bowstrings, and showers of arrows and weapons.
āśaṁsantaḥ parāñjetuṁ jitaśvāsā jitavyathāḥ।hayāḥ prajavitāḥ śīghrā bhāradvājarathodvahāḥ ॥7-8-18॥
The warriors, hoping to defeat their enemies, have mastered their breath and pain. The swift and fast horses carry Bharadvaja's chariot.
te sma rukmarathe yuktā naravīrasamāhitāḥ।kathaṃ nābhyataraṃstāta pāṇḍavānāmanīkinīm ॥7-8-19॥
They, yoked in the golden chariot with heroic men, wondered how they could not penetrate the Pandavas' army, dear.
jātarūpapariṣkāramāsthāya rathamuttamam।bhāradvājaḥ kimakarocchūraḥ saṅkrandano yudhi ॥7-8-20॥
Bharadvaja, the hero known as Sankrandana, mounted the excellent chariot adorned with gold. What did he do in the battle?
vidyāṃ yasyopajīvanti sarvalokadhanurbhṛtaḥ।sa satyasandho balavāndroṇaḥ kimakarodyudhi ॥7-8-21॥
Drona, whose knowledge was relied upon by all the world's archers, was truthful and strong. What did he do in the battle?
divi śakramiva śreṣṭhaṃ mahāmātraṃ dhanurbhṛtām।ke nu taṃ raudrakarmāṇaṃ yuddhe pratyudyayū rathāḥ ॥7-8-22॥
In heaven, like Indra, who is the best among the great ministers of the bow-bearers, who indeed were the chariots that faced him of fierce deeds in battle?
nanu rukmarathaṁ dṛṣṭvā pradravanti sma pāṇḍavāḥ।divyam astraṁ vikurvāṇaṁ senāṁ kṣiṇvantam avyayam ॥7-8-23॥
The Pandavas, upon seeing the golden chariot and the divine weapon being wielded, fled as the imperishable army was being destroyed.
utāho sarvasainyena dharmarājaḥ sahānujaḥ।pāñcālyapragraho droṇaṃ sarvataḥ samavārayat ॥7-8-24॥
Dharmaraja, along with his younger brother and the entire army, including the leader of the Panchalas, surrounded and restrained Drona from all sides.
nūnam āvārayat pārtho rathino'nyān ajihmagaiḥ। tato droṇaṃ samārohat pārṣataḥ pāpakarmakṛt ॥7-8-25॥
Arjuna, with his straight-shooting arrows, certainly blocked the other charioteers. Then, the son of Prishata, known for his evil deeds, ascended to Drona.
na hy anyaṃ paripaśyāmi vadhe kañcana śuṣmiṇaḥ। dhṛṣṭadyumnād ṛte raudrāt pālyamānāt kirīṭinā ॥7-8-26॥
I see no one else fit to kill Śuṣmiṇa other than Dhṛṣṭadyumna, who is fierce and protected by the crowned one.
tairvṛtaḥ sarvataḥ śūraiḥ pāñcālyāpasadastataḥ।kekayaścedikārūṣairmatsyairanyaiśca bhūmipaiḥ ॥7-8-27॥
He was surrounded on all sides by heroes, including the descendants of Pāñcāla, Kekayas, Edikas, Ārūṣas, Matsyas, and other kings.
vyākulīkṛtamācāryaṃ pipīlairuragaṃ yathā।karmaṇyasukare saktaṃ jaghānaiti matirmama ॥7-8-28॥
My thought is that the teacher, engaged in a difficult task, was disturbed and killed, just as a snake is disturbed by ants.
yo'dhītya caturo vedānsarvānākhyānapañcamān।brāhmaṇānāṃ pratiṣṭhāsītsrotasāmiva sāgaraḥ ॥ sa kathaṃ brāhmaṇo vṛddhaḥ śastreṇa vadhamāptavān ॥7-8-29॥
The one who mastered the four Vedas and all the narratives, serving as the foundation for the Brahmanas like the ocean for the streams, how did that elderly Brahmana meet his end by the sword?
amarṣaṇo marṣitavān kliśyamānaḥ sadā mayā। anarhamāṇaḥ kaunteyaḥ karmaṇas tasya tat phalam ॥7-8-30॥
The intolerant one, who was always suffering because of me, endured it; the undeserving son of Kunti faced the consequences of his actions.
yasya karmānujīvanti loke sarvadhanurbhṛtaḥ।sa satyasandhaḥ sukṛtī śrīkāmairnihataḥ katham ॥7-8-31॥
How could he, whose actions are followed by all archers in the world, who is truthful and virtuous, be killed by those desiring prosperity?
divi śakra iva śreṣṭho mahāsattvo mahābalaḥ।sa kathaṁ nihataḥ pārthaiḥ kṣudramatsyairyathā timiḥ ॥7-8-32॥
In heaven, he was like Indra, the best among the mighty and great beings. How could he be killed by the sons of Pritha, as a whale is by small fish?
kṣiprahastaśca balavāndṛḍhadhanvārimardanaḥ।na yasya jīvitakāṅkṣī viṣayaṃ prāpya jīvati ॥7-8-33॥
The quick-handed and strong warrior, firm in his archery and crusher of foes, does not live desiring life after obtaining the object.
yaṁ dvau na jahataḥ śabdau jīvamānaṁ kadācana।brāhmaśca vedakāmānāṁ jyāghoṣaśca dhanurbhṛtām ॥7-8-34॥
There are two sounds that never leave a living person: the chanting of the Vedas for those who seek Vedic knowledge and the sound of the bowstring for the warriors.
nāhaṃ mṛṣye hataṃ droṇaṃ siṃhadvīradavikramam।kathaṃ sañjaya durdharṣamanādhṛṣyayashobalam ॥7-8-35॥
I cannot bear the news of Droṇa, who was as valiant as a lion and elephant, being killed. How, Sañjaya, can one withstand the invincible and unassailable fame and strength?
ke'rakṣandakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ savyaṃ ke ca mahātmanaḥ।purastātke ca vīrasya yudhyamānasya saṃyuge ॥7-8-36॥
Who guarded the right and left sides of the great soul's chariot? Who stood in front of the hero as he fought in the battle?
ke ca tatra tanuṁ tyaktvā pratīpaṁ mṛtyumāvrajan।droṇasya samare vīrāḥ ke'kurvanta parāṁ dhṛtim ॥7-8-37॥
Who were the heroes there who, having abandoned their bodies, approached a contrary death in the battle of Drona, and who performed supreme courage?
etadāryeṇa kartavyaṃ kṛcchrāsvāpatsu sañjaya।parākrame dyathāśaktyā tacca tasminpratiṣṭhitam ॥7-8-38॥
O Sañjaya, the noble should act with valor and ability in times of difficulty and calamity, and that is firmly established.
muhyate me manastāta kathā tāvannivartyatām।bhūyastu labdhasaṃjñastvā pariprakṣyāmi sañjaya ॥7-8-39॥
O dear, my mind is confused. Let the story be paused until I regain my senses. I will ask you again, Sanjaya.
