Mahabharata 7.17.40 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 40
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
एष च भ्रातृभि: सार्थ सुशर्मा55ह्वयते रणे । वधाय सगणपस्यास्य मामनुज्ञातुमरहसि
sañjaya uvāca |
eṣa ca bhrātṛbhiḥ sārthaṃ suśarmā hvayate raṇe |
vadhāya sagaṇasyāsya mām anu jñātum arhasi ||
সঞ্জয় ক’লে—এই সুশৰ্মা ভাতৃসকলৰ সৈতে ৰণক্ষেত্ৰত মোক আহ্বান কৰিছে। সেয়ে তাৰ অনুচৰসহ এই সুশৰ্মাক বধ কৰিবলৈ মোক অনুমতি দিয়ক।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key wartime ethic in the epic: even in violence, action is framed within hierarchy and responsibility—seeking authorization before undertaking a decisive killing, and treating combat as a formal challenge that must be answered according to kṣatriya norms.
Sañjaya reports that Suśarmā has arrived with his brothers and is openly challenging for combat. The speaker (as conveyed in the line) requests permission from a superior to engage and kill Suśarmā along with his supporting fighters.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.