Mahabharata 7.119.33 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 119, Shloka 33

Śaineya–Bhūriśravas: Genealogy, Svayaṃvara Contest, and the Maheśvara Boon

Devanagari script

तान्‌ दृष्टवा प्रद्रुतान्‌ संख्ये सात्वतेन शरार्दितान्‌ | प्रभग्नं पुनरेवासीत्‌ तव सैन्यं समाकुलम्‌

Transliteration

tān dṛṣṭvā pradrutān saṅkhye sātvatenā śarārditān | prabhagnaṃ punar evāsīt tava sainyaṃ samākulam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als er sie inmitten der Schlacht fliehen sah—verwundet und bedrängt von den Pfeilen des Sātvata (Sātyaki)—zerbrach dein Heer, obgleich es gesammelt und geordnet war, abermals und zerstreute sich in Verwirrung.

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• प्रद्रुतान्: fleeing, running away
• प्रद्रुतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रद्रुत (प्र + द्रु)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• सात्वतेन: by the Sātvata (Sātyaki)
• सात्वतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शरार्दितान्: wounded/afflicted by arrows
• शरार्दितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरार्दित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• प्रभग्नम्: broken, routed
• प्रभग्नम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभग्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आसीत्: was, became
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), Past, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तव: your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• समाकुलम्: confused, in turmoil
• समाकुलम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• Sātyaki (as Sātvata)
• Kaurava army (tava sainyam)
• Arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that in war, cohesion and courage are as decisive as numbers: when warriors lose steadiness under pressure, even a reorganized force can collapse again. Ethically, it points to the kṣatriya ideal of standing firm rather than yielding to panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kaurava fighters, struck by Sātyaki’s arrows, begin to flee; witnessing this flight, the rest of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s army again becomes disordered and routs in confusion.