Mahabharata 7.30.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 30, Shloka 2

Chapter 30: Formation Disruption, Competing War-Cries, and Nīla’s Fall

Droṇa-parva

Devanagari script

ततो गान्धारराजस्य सुतौ परपुरंजयौ । अर्देतामर्जुनं संख्ये भ्रातरौ वृषकाचलौ

Transliteration

tato gāndhārarājasya sutau parapuraṃjayau | ardetām arjunaṃ saṅkhye bhrātarau vṛṣakācalau ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann rückten die beiden Söhne des Königs von Gāndhāra—die Brüder Vṛṣa und Acala, berühmt als Bezwinger feindlicher Festungen—auf dem Schlachtfeld an Arjuna heran und begannen, ihn im Kampf zu bedrängen und zu quälen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• गान्धारराजस्य: of the king of Gandhāra
• गान्धारराजस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारराज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सुतौ: two sons
• सुतौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• परपुरंजयौ: conquerors of enemy cities
• परपुरंजयौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परपुरंजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अर्देताम्: they pained/afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्द्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Dual, Parasmaipada

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• भ्रातरौ: two brothers
• भ्रातरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वृषकाचलौ: Vṛṣaka and Acala
• वृषकाचलौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषकाचल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Gāndhāra
• Gāndhāra-rāja (king of Gāndhāra)
• Vṛṣa
• Acala

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological dimension of warfare: even a righteous and highly skilled warrior must face concentrated opposition, and true excellence is shown through composure and resilience when surrounded or pressured by multiple foes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that two brothers—Vṛṣa and Acala, sons of the Gāndhāra king—advance together against Arjuna and begin attacking him vigorously in the midst of battle.