Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्य तुण्डे महेष्वासो भारद्वाजो व्यरोचत । अश्वत्थामा कृपश्चैव चक्षुरासीन्नरेश्वर,उसकी चोंचके स्थानमें महाधनुर्धर द्रोणाचार्य सुशोभित हुए। नरेश्वर! अश्वत्थामा और कृपाचार्य नेत्रोंके स्थानमें खड़े हुए

Transliteration

tasya tuṇḍe maheṣvāso bhāradvājo vyarocata | aśvatthāmā kṛpaś caiva cakṣur āsīn nareśvara ||

Translation

তার ঠোঁটের স্থানে মহাধনুর্ধর ভারদ্বাজ (দ্রোণাচার্য) দীপ্তিমান হলেন। হে নরেশ্বর! অশ্বত্থামা ও কৃপাচার্য তার দুই চক্ষুর স্থানে অবস্থান করলেন।

Word by Word

तस्यof that (one)

तुण्डेin the beak/mouth

महा-इष्वासःthe great archer

भारद्वाजःBhāradvāja (Droṇa)

विरोचतshone, was resplendent

अश्वत्थामाAśvatthāmā

कृपःKṛpa

चand

एवindeed, just

चक्षुःeye (as a place/organ)

आसीत्was

नर-ईश्वरO lord of men (king)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇācārya (Bhāradvāja)

Aśvatthāmā

Kṛpācārya

Nareśvara (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, addressed)

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 how even venerable teachers and inherited martial knowledge can be absorbed into the machinery of war; it invites reflection on dharma when loyalty and skill are deployed within a destructive conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes positions within a bird-shaped battle formation: Droṇa occupies the ‘beak’ (the striking front), while Aśvatthāmā and Kṛpa stand as the ‘eyes,’ indicating key tactical placements of elite warriors.