धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
कथं द्रोणो महेष्वासः पाण्डवश् च धनंजयः ॥
समीयतू रणे शूरौ तन् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
प्रियो हि पाण्डवो नित्यं भारद्वाजस्य धीमतः ॥
आचार्यश् च रणे नित्यं प्रियः पार्थस्य संजय ॥
ताव् उभौ रथिनौ संख्ये दृप्तौ सिंहाव् इवोत्कटौ ॥
कथं समीयतुर् युद्धे भारद्वाजधनंजयौ ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
kathaṃ droṇo maheṣvāsaḥ pāṇḍavaś ca dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
samīyatū raṇe śūrau tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
priyo hi pāṇḍavo nityaṃ bhāradvājasya dhīmataḥ ||
ācāryaś ca raṇe nityaṃ priyaḥ pārthasya saṃjaya ||
tāv ubhau rathinau saṃkhye dṛptau siṃhāv ivotkaṭau ||
kathaṃ samīyatur yuddhe bhāradvājadhanaṃjayau ||
Dhritarashtra said: 'Sanjaya, how did the two heroes meet in battle -- the great archer Drona, and the Pandava Dhananjaya? Tell me this. For the Pandava is always dear to the wise son of Bharadvaja, and the teacher is always dear to Partha in battle, Sanjaya. How, then, did these two chariot-warriors, Bharadvaja's son and Dhananjaya, proud and fierce as lions, meet in the fight?'
64b8efc4dbca · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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Dhritarashtra feels the moral tension of this encounter: before him stand not merely two opponents but a teacher and his disciple. The question at once sets personal affection beside a warrior's duty.