Mahabharata 7.97.1 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 97, Shloka 1

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

व बछ। जि पञ्चनवतितमो< ध्याय: द्रोण और धृष्टद्युम्नका भीषण संग्राम तथा उभय पक्षके प्रमुख वीरोंका परस्पर संकुल युद्ध संजय उवाच प्रविष्टयोर्महाराज पार्थवाष्णेययो रणे । दुर्योधने प्रयाते च पृष्ठतः पुरुषर्षभे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | praviṣṭayor mahārāja pārthavāṣṇeyayo raṇe | duryodhane prayāte ca pṛṣṭhataḥ puruṣarṣabhe |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O König, als Pārtha (Arjuna) und Vāṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) tief in das Schlachtfeld eingedrungen waren, und als Duryodhana—Stier unter den Männern—hinter ihnen her in der Verfolgung voranschritt, steigerte sich der Kampf, und es bahnte sich ein grimmiger Zusammenstoß an, in dem die führenden Helden beider Seiten in ein dichtes, gegenseitiges Handgemenge gerieten.

Word by Word

• संजय: Sanjaya
• संजय: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रविष्टयोः: of the two who had entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रविष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पार्थ: of Arjuna (son of Pritha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• वाष्णेययोः: of Krishna (descendant of Vrishni)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाष्णेय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दुर्योधने: when/while Duryodhana (was ...)
• दुर्योधने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रयाते: having gone / advancing
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पृष्ठतः: from behind / at the rear
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः

• पुरुषर्षभे: when the bull among men (Duryodhana) (was ...)
• पुरुषर्षभे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Kṛṣṇa (Vāṣṇeya)
• Duryodhana
• Kurukṣetra (implied by 'raṇe')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how decisive action and pursuit in war quickly draw the foremost figures into direct confrontation, reminding the listener that choices made by leaders (advancing, entering enemy ranks, chasing) shape the scale and intensity of collective violence—an ethical backdrop to kṣatriya duty and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa have penetrated into the battle formation, and Duryodhana follows behind them in pursuit, signaling the onset of a fierce, tightly packed clash among major warriors.