Mahabharata 7.173.24 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 173, Shloka 24

Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

दुर्योधने परावृत्ते शैनेयस्तव वाहिनीम्‌ | द्रावयामास विशिखैर्निशामध्ये विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! उस आधीरातके समय दुर्योधनके पराड्मुख हो जानेपर सात्यकिने आपकी सेनाको अपने बाणोंद्वारा खदेड़ना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

duryodhane parāvṛtte śaineyas tava vāhinīm |

drāvayāmāsa viśikhair niśāmadhye viśāmpate prajānātha ||

Translation

قال سَنجايا: يا سيّدَ الرجال! في جوفِ الليل، لمّا ولّى دُريودَهَنَة مُرتدًّا، شرع شَيْنَيَة (سَاتْيَكِي، Sātyaki) يطرد جيشَك بوابلٍ من السهام.

Word by Word

• दुर्योधने: in/when (it was) Duryodhana
• दुर्योधने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परावृत्ते: having turned back / having retreated
• परावृत्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परावृत्त (√वृत्)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शैनेयः: Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• वाहिनीम्: army
• वाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रावयामास: caused to run away / routed / drove off
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रावयामास (√द्रु + णिच्; periphrastic perfect of causative)
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular

• विशिखैः: with arrows
• विशिखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशिख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निशामध्ये: in the middle of the night
• निशामध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा-मध्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• विशाम्पते: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्-पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रजानाथ: O protector/lord of subjects
• प्रजानाथ: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा-नाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• Kaurava army (tava vāhinī)
• Arrows (viśikha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and strategic weight of leadership in war: when a leader falters or turns back, the opposing side can seize moral and tactical momentum. It also reflects the heightened peril of night combat, where resolve and discipline become decisive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana has turned back (in retreat), and at that moment Sātyaki (Śaineya) begins driving the Kaurava forces away with volleys of arrows during the middle of the night.