Mahabharata 7.13.6 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 6

Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)

Devanagari script

तच्चान्तरं महेष्वास त्वयि तेन समाहितम्‌ । स त्वमद्य महाबाहो युध्यस्व मदनन्तरम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tac cāntaraṃ maheṣvāsa tvayi tena samāhitam | sa tvam adya mahābāho yudhyasva mad-anantaram | āptair āśu parijñātaṃ bhāradvāja-cikīrṣitam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O großer Bogenschütze, jenes strategische Zwischenstück—das er in Reserve hielt—ist nun gegen dich gerichtet. Darum, o Mächtigarmiger, kämpfe heute, ohne mir irgendeine Lücke zu lassen. Was Bhāradvāja (Droṇa) beabsichtigt, ist durch zuverlässige Kundschafter rasch erkannt worden.“

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्तरम्: interval; opening; gap
• अन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महा-इष्वास: O great archer
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्वयि: in you; on you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• तेन: by him/that; with that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• समाहितम्: was fixed/placed; was concentrated
• Type: Participle
• Root: सम्-आ-धा
• Form: Passive, Past (PPP), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सः: he; that one
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अद्य: today; now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• महा-बाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युध्यस्व: fight!
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Loṭ (Imperative), Ātmanepada, Second, Singular

• मत्: from me
• मत्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Ablative, Singular

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after; next
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: अनन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आप्तैः: by trusted (men)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• परिज्ञातम्: was fully ascertained/known
• Type: Participle
• Root: परि-ज्ञा
• Form: Passive, Past (PPP), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भारद्वाज-चिकीर्षितम्: the intended act/plan of Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)
• भारद्वाज-चिकीर्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (action-noun/intent, used as substantive)
• Root: भारद्वाजचिकीर्षित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Bhāradvāja)
• the addressed warrior (maheṣvāsa, mahābāhu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In war and governance, vigilance and timely intelligence prevent one from being outmaneuvered; duty (dharma) requires alertness to an opponent’s intent and disciplined action without giving openings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa has set a tactical plan focused on a particular warrior, urging him to fight without leaving any opening; meanwhile, Droṇa’s intended move has been quickly learned through trusted agents.