Shloka 10

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच आचार्य निहते द्रोणे धृष्टद्युम्नेन संयुगे । निहते वज्रहस्तेन यथा वृत्रे महासुरे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

ācārye nihate droṇe dhṛṣṭadyumnena saṃyuge |

nihate vajrahastena yathā vṛtre mahāsure ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Als der Lehrer Droṇa im Kampf von Dhṛṣṭadyumna erschlagen wurde—wie einst der große Asura Vṛtra vom Träger des Donnerkeils getötet wurde—da…“

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

आचार्येwhen/with the teacher (Droṇa) (being ...)

निहतेslain

द्रोणेDroṇa

धृष्टद्युम्नेनby Dhṛṣṭadyumna

संयुगेin battle

निहतेwhen (he) was slain

वज्रहस्तेनby the one with the thunderbolt in hand (Indra)

यथाas/just as

वृत्रेVṛtra

महासुरेin/when the great asura (was slain)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Droṇa

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Vajrahasta (Indra)

Vṛtra

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 actions in war: even when a killing is strategically decisive or seemingly destined, slaying a revered teacher (ācārya) carries profound moral gravity. By invoking Indra’s slaying of Vṛtra, it frames the event as world-altering, yet invites reflection on dharma amid necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira refers to the moment after Droṇa has been killed in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna. He compares this to Indra (the thunderbolt-wielder) killing the great asura Vṛtra, emphasizing that Droṇa’s fall is a decisive turning point in the Kurukṣetra war.