Shloka 5

Devanagari script

द्रोणस्तु तद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा पुत्रस्य तव दुर्मना: । मुहूर्तमिव तद्‌ ध्यात्वा भृशमार्तोडभ्यभाषत

Transliteration

droṇas tu tad vacaḥ śrutvā putrasya tava durmanāḥ | muhūrtam iva tad dhyātvā bhṛśam ārto 'bhyabhāṣata ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Als Droṇa die Worte deines Sohnes hörte, wurde er schweren Herzens. Nachdem er einen kurzen Augenblick darüber nachgedacht hatte, sprach er, von tiefem Schmerz ergriffen, zur Antwort.“

Word by Word

द्रोणःDrona

तुbut/indeed

तत्that

वचःspeech/words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

पुत्रस्यof (his/your) son

तवof you/your

दुर्मनाःsad, distressed

मुहूर्तम्for a moment

इवas if/like

तत्that (matter)

ध्यात्वाhaving reflected/pondered

भृशम्greatly, intensely

आर्तःafflicted, anguished

उद्भ्यभाषतspoke out/uttered

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

द

द्रोण (Droṇa)

त

तव पुत्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son—contextually Duryodhana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech and counsel in wartime: a leader’s words can burden even a seasoned teacher-warrior, and responsible action is preceded by reflection—yet grief can still compel a forceful response.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa hears the statement made by the king’s son, becomes mentally troubled, pauses briefly to consider it, and then replies while overwhelmed with distress.