Mahabharata 7.17.42 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 42

Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout

Chapter 17

Devanagari script

युधिषछ्िर उवाच श्रुतं ते तत्त्वतस्तात यद्‌ द्रोणस्य चिकीर्षितम्‌ । यथा तदनृतं तस्य भवेत्‌ तत्‌ त्वं समाचर

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

śrutaṃ te tattvatastāta yad droṇasya cikīrṣitam | yathā tad anṛtaṃ tasya bhavet tat tvaṃ samācara ||

Translation

যুধিষ্ঠিৰ ক’লে—তাত! দ্ৰোণাচাৰ্যই কি কৰিব বিচাৰে, সেয়া তুমি তত্ত্বতঃ শুনিছা। এনেদৰে কাৰ্য কৰা যাতে তেওঁৰ সেই সংকল্প অসত্য হৈ পৰে—তেওঁৰ উদ্দেশ্য ব্যৰ্থ হয়।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'śrutam', 'definition': 'heard

• learned'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'by you / to you'}, {'term': 'tattvatas', 'definition': 'in accordance with reality

• accurately'}, {'term': 'tāta', 'definition': 'dear one

• a term of address (often affectionate/respectful)'}, {'term': 'droṇasya', 'definition': 'of Droṇa (Droṇācārya)'}, {'term': 'cikīrṣitam', 'definition': 'intended act

• what is wished/planned to be done'}, {'term': 'yathā', 'definition': 'so that

• in such a way that'}, {'term': 'tat', 'definition': 'that (plan/resolve)'}, {'term': 'anṛtam', 'definition': 'untrue

• made futile (i.e., not coming to pass)'}, {'term': 'tasya', 'definition': 'of him

• his'}, {'term': 'bhavet', 'definition': 'may become

• may come to be'}, {'term': 'tvam', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'samācara', 'definition': 'do

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between truthfulness and wartime necessity: Yudhiṣṭhira urges action that will invalidate Droṇa’s intended outcome. It frames strategy as an ethical problem—how far one may go to prevent a powerful adversary’s plan, especially when the means may involve making something ‘untrue’ or futile.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva, the Pāṇḍavas face Droṇa’s formidable tactics. Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an ally/companion, noting that Droṇa’s intention is already known, and instructs them to act so that Droṇa’s resolve does not succeed—i.e., to counter his plan effectively.