Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पदाताश्च रणे द्रोणं पातयन्तु महारथम्‌ । “इसी प्रकार हमारे समस्त रथी, हाथी-घोड़ोंकी जो कुछ भी सेना अवशिष्ट है वह और पैदल सैनिक--ये सभी रणभूमिमें महारथी द्रोणाचार्यको मार गिरावें” ।। तथा>ऊज्ञप्तास्तु ते सर्वे पाण्डवेन महात्मना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | padātāś ca raṇe droṇaṃ pātayantu mahāratham | tathājñaptās tu te sarve pāṇḍavena mahātmanā ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Mögen die Fußsoldaten in der Schlacht Droṇa, jenen großen Wagenkämpfer, zu Fall bringen.“ So befohlen vom hochgesinnten Sohn Pāṇḍus, machten sich alle—von den Wagenkriegern bis zur Infanterie, samt dem Rest des Heeres—daran, Droṇācārya auf dem Schlachtfeld niederzuwerfen.

Word by Word

पदाताःfoot-soldiers

चand

रणेin battle

द्रोणम्Drona

पातयन्तुlet (them) cause to fall / strike down

महारथम्the great chariot-warrior

तथाthus / in that manner

ऊज्ञप्ताःhaving been commanded / instructed

तुbut / indeed

तेthey

सर्वेall

पाण्डवेनby the Pandava (Yudhishthira)

महात्मनाby the great-souled (one)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Pāṇḍava (commander issuing the order)

infantry (padātāḥ)

battlefield (raṇa)

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 harsh moral complexity of war: strategic necessity can demand targeting a decisive leader even when he is a venerable teacher. It points to the tension between reverence (for Droṇa as guru) and the perceived duty to end a destructive conflict by neutralizing its strongest pillar.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava side issues a command for the infantry and remaining forces to focus their attack on Droṇa, the foremost Kaurava commander. The army, following the order, moves to concentrate force against him on the battlefield.