Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततो विराटटद्रुपदौ द्रोणं प्रययतू रणे

Transliteration

tato virāṭa-drupadau droṇaṃ prayayatu raṇe

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann, mitten im Kampf, rückten Virāṭa und Drupada gegen Droṇa vor. Die Erzählung hebt hervor, wie hochbetagte Könige, gebunden durch Bündnis und kṣatriya-dharma, einem verehrten Lehrer auf dem Schlachtfeld entgegentreten — eine Begegnung, in der Treue, Pflicht und die tragischen Kosten des Krieges zusammenlaufen.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereafter

विराटःVirāṭa

चand

द्रुपदःDrupada

द्रोणम्Droṇa

प्रययतुःthe two went/advanced

रणेin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Virāṭa

Drupada

Droṇa

raṇa (battlefield)

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 underscores kṣatriya-dharma and political obligation: even venerable figures like Droṇa become opponents when duty to one’s side and alliance commitments demand action, revealing the ethical strain and sorrow inherent in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Virāṭa and Drupada together move forward in the battle to engage Droṇa, marking a direct confrontation between prominent allied kings and the formidable Kaurava commander.