Shloka 516

Devanagari script

हतसर्वस्ववीरा हि भीष्मद्रोणौ यदा हतौ । “कुन्तीनन्दन! जब भीष्म और द्रोणाचार्य युद्धमें मार डाले गये, तभीसे मानो दुर्योधनकी इस भयंकर सेनाके सारे वीर मारे गये--इसका सर्वस्व नष्ट हो गया

Transliteration

hata-sarvasva-vīrā hi bhīṣma-droṇau yadā hataū |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als Bhīṣma und Droṇa erschlagen waren, war es, als hätte Duryodhanas furchtbares Heer bereits all seine Kraft und Substanz verloren—der Kern seiner Helden war dahin, und mit ihm schwanden Zuversicht und tragende Stärke des Heeres.

Word by Word

• हतसर्वस्ववीराः: those whose all-wealth/strength (i.e., all warriors) is slain; utterly ruined in warriors
• हतसर्वस्ववीराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत-सर्वस्व-वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• भीष्मद्रोणौ: Bhishma and Drona
• भीष्मद्रोणौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म-द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• हतौ: slain
• हतौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Droṇa
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the fall of foundational leaders can break an entire system: when the pillars (Bhīṣma and Droṇa) are removed, collective morale and strategic stability collapse. Ethically, it underscores the grave consequences of adharma-driven persistence in war—power without righteous grounding becomes fragile.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after Bhīṣma and Droṇa were killed, Duryodhana’s army effectively became bereft of its essential strength. The statement frames subsequent events in Karṇa Parva as occurring in an already weakened Kaurava camp.