Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.13.7 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 7

Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच यथा मे न वध: कार्य आचार्यस्य कदाचन

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca—rājan, yadā droṇācāryaḥ kiñcid antaraṃ kṛtvā rājānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraṃ bandhanāya pratijajñe, tadā tava sainyāni yudhiṣṭhirasya grahaṇodyogaṃ śrutvā uccair uccaiḥ siṃhanādaṃ cakruḥ bhujān ca tāḍayām āsuḥ. bharatanandana, tasmin kāle dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śīghram eva svaviśvāsya-gūptacaraiḥ yathāyogaṃ sarvāḥ kathāḥ samyag avagacchat—kiṃ droṇācāryaḥ cikīrṣati iti.

Translation

قال سنجيا: أيها الملك، لما إن درونا—وقد أدخل في عزمه تمييزًا محسوبًا واحتياطًا مقصودًا—نذر أن يقبض على الملك يودهيشثيرا، فإن جنودك، حين سمعوا بمحاولة أسر يودهيشثيرا، أطلقوا زئيرًا كزئير الأسد وشرعوا يضربون على سواعدهم ابتهاجًا. يا سليل بهاراتا، في ذلك الحين أدرك دارماراجا يودهيشثيرا سريعًا، عبر عيونه السرّية الموثوقين وبالوجه اللائق، جميع تفاصيل ما كان ابن بهاردفاجا (درونا) ينوي فعله.

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Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यथा: so that / in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वधः: killing / slaying
• वधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कार्यः: to be done / should be done
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आचार्यस्य: of the teacher (Drona)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

• आप्तैः: by trusted (persons)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• परिज्ञातम्: fully known / ascertained
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (PPP sense)

• भारद्वाज: of Bharadvaja (i.e., Drona, son of Bharadvaja)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (intended) / Vocative (possible), Singular

• चिकीर्षितम्: intended to do / wished to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: सन् + क्त (desiderative PPP sense), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Droṇācārya (Drona)
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• Kaurava army (tava sainyāni)
• trusted secret agents (gūptacarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a commander’s vow and strategy (pratijñā, antaraṃ kṛtvā) shapes the ethical and political stakes of war, while also emphasizing the necessity of timely intelligence (gūptacara) for a righteous ruler to respond without panic or impropriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drona vows to capture Yudhishthira; the Kaurava troops celebrate loudly, expecting advantage. Yudhishthira, however, promptly learns Drona’s intended plan through trusted spies, indicating preparedness and the role of intelligence amid battlefield maneuvering.