Mahabharata 7.17.28 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 28

Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout

Chapter 17

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मगोंको भोजन आदिसे तृप्त करके उन्हें अलग-अलग स्वर्णमुद्राओं

Transliteration

śṛṇvatāṃ sarvabhūtānām uccair vāco babhāṣire | sarve dhanañjayavadhe pratijñāṃ cāpi cakrire ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Während alle Wesen zuhörten, erhoben sie laut ihre Stimmen. Sie alle legten, mit festem Entschluss, auch ein Gelübde ab, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) zu töten.

Word by Word

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृण्वत् (श्रु धातु, शृण्वत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत (सर्व + भूत)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• उच्चैः: aloud, loudly
• उच्चैः: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः

• वाचः: words, utterances
• वाचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• बभाषिरे: they spoke
• बभाषिरे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (भाषते)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धनंजयवधे: in/for the slaying of Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयवधे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय-वध
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिज्ञाम्: a vow, a pledge
• प्रतिज्ञाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• चक्रिरे: they made, they undertook
• चक्रिरे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करोति/कुरुते)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• sarva-bhūta (all beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral force of publicly declared vows: when spoken before witnesses, a pledge becomes socially binding and psychologically irreversible. In the Mahabharata’s war-ethics, such collective oaths intensify commitment and escalate conflict, showing how speech (vāc) can shape action and destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

After ritual preparations described in the surrounding passage, the assembled warriors (implied by context) proclaim aloud, before all present, a shared vow to kill Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). Sanjaya reports this public declaration to Dhritarashtra as a key turn in the day’s war-intent.