Shloka 19

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

आमपात्रनिकाशास्तु पांचाल्यममितौजसम्‌

Transliteration

āmapātranīkāśāstu pāñcālyam amitaujasam

Translation

সঞ্জয়ে ক’লে—কাঁচা মাটিৰ পাত্ৰৰ দৰে দেখা সেই অস্ত্ৰ/শৰসমূহ অপৰিমেয় পৰাক্ৰমশালী পাঞ্চালকুমাৰৰ ওপৰত আঘাত হানিলে। যুদ্ধৰ সেই ভয়ংকৰ, নিৰ্লিপ্ত শক্তি তাত প্ৰকাশ পালে—য’ত মহাবীৰসকলেও নিৰন্তৰ শৰবৃষ্টিত বিদ্ধ হয়।

Word by Word

आमपात्रनिकाशाःresembling unbaked earthen vessels (i.e., pale/ashen-like)

तुbut/indeed

पाञ्चाल्यम्the Panchala prince (Dhrishtadyumna)/the Panchala (person)

अमितौजसम्of immeasurable vigor/might

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāñcālya (Pāñcāla prince, likely Dhṛṣṭadyumna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh impartiality of battle: even a warrior of immeasurable strength can be struck down by the sheer mechanics of warfare, reminding readers that valor must be guided by dharma and humility before the forces unleashed in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes missiles/weapons—characterized by a dull, earthen, unbaked-pot-like appearance—being directed at and striking the mighty Pāñcāla prince (Pāñcālya), emphasizing the intensity of the ongoing combat in Droṇa Parva.