Shloka 97

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच तस्य तदू वचन श्रुत्वा द्रोणपुत्रो महारथ: । नमश्लकार रुद्राय बहु मेने च केशवम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca tasya tad ū vacanaṃ śrutvā droṇaputro mahārathaḥ | namaścakāra rudrāya bahu mene ca keśavam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als er jene Worte hörte, verneigte sich Droṇas Sohn—der große Wagenkämpfer—in Ehrfurcht vor Rudra und hielt Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) in höchster Achtung.

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

तस्यof him / his

तत्that

उindeed / emphatic particle

वचनम्speech, words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

द्रोणपुत्रःDrona's son (Ashvatthaman)

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

नमश्चकारmade obeisance, bowed

रुद्रायto Rudra

बहुmuch, greatly

मेनेthought, considered

चand

केशवम्Keshava (Krishna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)

Rudra (Śiva)

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

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?

Even amid warfare, true strength is tempered by reverence: the warrior recognizes higher divine powers (Rudra and Keśava) and aligns his attitude with humility rather than mere pride in arms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, after hearing a significant statement (from the preceding context), responds by saluting Rudra and by esteeming Keśava highly—signaling acknowledgment of their decisive spiritual and moral stature in the unfolding battle.