कथं नु पार्षतस् तात शत्रुभिर् दुष्प्रधर्षणम् ॥
किरन्तम् इषुसंघातान् रुक्मपुङ्खान् अनेकशः ॥
क्षिप्रहस्तं द्विजश्रेष्ठं कृतिनं चित्रयोधिनम् ॥
दूरेषुपातिनं दान्तम् अस्त्रयुद्धे च पारगम् ॥
पाञ्चालपुत्रो न्यवधीद् दिष्ट्या स वरम् अच्युतम् ॥
कुर्वाणं दारुणं कर्म रणे यत्तं महारथम् ॥
kathaṃ nu pārṣatas tāta śatrubhir duṣpradharṣaṇam ||
kirantam iṣusaṃghātān rukmapuṅkhān anekaśaḥ ||
kṣiprahastaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ kṛtinaṃ citrayodhinam ||
dūreṣupātinaṃ dāntam astrayuddhe ca pāragam ||
pāñcālaputro nyavadhīd diṣṭyā sa varam acyutam ||
kurvāṇaṃ dāruṇaṃ karma raṇe yattaṃ mahāratham ||
How, dear one, did Parshata [Dhrishtadyumna] slay Drona — unassailable to his foes, showering countless clouds of gold-feathered arrows, swift of hand, the best of the twice-born, skilled, fighting marvelously, striking from afar, self-controlled, who had surpassed all in the battle of divine weapons? By the decree of fate the son of the king of Panchala slew that excellent, unshaken one, who was performing a terrible deed, the vigilant great chariot-warrior.
a995ca1627ec · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
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Twice the king invokes "fate" (diṣṭyā): he himself perceives that it was not Dhrishtadyumna's valor but destiny that brought Drona down — for none equaled him in skill. The long list of the fallen one's perfections only sharpens the bewilderment: how did the one in whom all mastery converged fall? But the very word "by fate" already carries the answer — above all mastery stands Time, and no skill annuls mortality. The verse teaches that supreme skill is no defense against destiny; that victory over the unconquerable is accomplished not by superiority of force but by the will of the supreme ordainer; and that the grieving king, twice repeating "by fate," unknowingly confesses that it was not a man who overcame Drona, but Time, acting through a man's hand.