Shloka 63

भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः

Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt

Devanagari script

ते यज्ञसेन द्रुपदं गृहीत्वा रणमूर्थनि । उपाजहु: सहामात्यं द्रोणाय भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! उन पाण्डवने यज्ञसेन द्रुपदको मन्त्रियोंसहित संग्रामभूमिमें बंदी बनाकर द्रोणाचार्यको उपहारके रूपमें दे दिया

Transliteration

te yajñasena-drupadaṁ gṛhītvā raṇamūrdhani | upājahuḥ sahāmātyaṁ droṇāya bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Nachdem die Pāṇḍavas Yajñasena Drupada an der vordersten Front des Schlachtfeldes ergriffen hatten, übergaben sie ihn — samt seinen Ministern — Droṇa als Gabe, o Stier unter den Bhāratas. Die Tat betont den Kriegerkodex, den Auftrag des Lehrers zu erfüllen; doch sie birgt auch eine ethische Spannung: Der Sieg im Krieg wird zum Werkzeug, persönliche Feindschaft im Namen der Pflicht gegenüber dem Lehrmeister zu begleichen.

Word by Word

तेthey

यज्ञसेनम्Yajñasena (name)

द्रुपदम्Drupada

गृहीत्वाhaving seized/captured

रणमूर्धनिon the battlefield (lit. on the head/top of battle)

उपाजहुःthey offered/presented

सहtogether with

अमात्यम्minister/counsellor

द्रोणायto Droṇa

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Janamejaya

Pāṇḍavas

Yajñasena (Drupada)

Droṇa (Dronācārya)

ministers (amātya)

battlefield (raṇa)

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 highlights the binding force of guru-duty in the kṣatriya world: the disciples execute their teacher’s command even in war. At the same time, it invites reflection on ethical complexity—how personal vendetta can be pursued under the cover of rightful obligation and martial success.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the campaign undertaken for Droṇa, the Pāṇḍavas capture King Drupada (also called Yajñasena) along with his ministers on the battlefield and deliver him to Droṇa as a tribute/gift, fulfilling Droṇa’s objective against his former friend and rival.