Shloka 43

Devanagari script

विक्रोशमाने हि मयि भृशमाचार्यगृद्धिनि । अपाकीर्य स्वयं धर्म शिष्येण निहतो गुरु:,मैं आचार्यके प्राणोंकी रक्षा चाहता हुआ बारंबार पुकारता ही रह गया, परंतु स्वयं शिष्य होकर भी धृष्टद्युम्नने धर्मको लात मारकर अपने गुरुकी हत्या कर डाली

Transliteration

vikrośamāne hi mayi bhṛśam ācārya-gṛddhini | apākīrya svayaṃ dharmaṃ śiṣyeṇa nihato guruḥ ||

Translation

Während ich laut aufschrie—entschlossen, das Leben des Lehrers zu schützen—warf Dṛṣṭadyumna, obwohl selbst ein Schüler, das Dharma beiseite und erschlug seinen Guru. Es war ein moralischer Bruch: Die Heiligkeit des Lehrer–Schüler-Bundes wurde im Taumel des Krieges verletzt.

Word by Word

विक्रोशमानेwhile (I was) crying out

हिindeed/for

मयिin/with regard to me

भृशम्exceedingly

आचार्यगृद्धिनिwhen (he was) eager for the teacher (as prey)

अपाकीर्यhaving cast aside

स्वयम्himself

धर्मम्dharma/righteousness

शिष्येणby the disciple

निहतःkilled/slain

गुरुःthe teacher

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Dṛṣṭadyumna

Droṇa (Ācārya/Guru)

Dharma

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 a grave ethical breach: even in war, certain bonds—especially the guru–śiṣya relationship—are traditionally protected by dharma. Arjuna’s lament frames the killing of one’s own teacher as a deliberate abandonment of moral restraint, showing how battlefield necessity and personal vows can collide with foundational ethical norms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna says that while he was repeatedly crying out, wishing to safeguard Droṇa’s life, Dṛṣṭadyumna—despite being Droṇa’s disciple—ignored dharma and killed the teacher. The line presents Arjuna’s perspective on Droṇa’s death as both a personal tragedy and a moral scandal within the war’s chaos.