Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ते यज्ञसेन द्रुपदं गृहीत्वा रणमूर्थनि । उपाजहु: सहामात्यं द्रोणाय भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! उन पाण्डवने यज्ञसेन द्रुपदको मन्त्रियोंसहित संग्रामभूमिमें बंदी बनाकर द्रोणाचार्यको उपहारके रूपमें दे दिया

Transliteration

te yajñasena-drupadaṁ gṛhītvā raṇamūrdhani | upājahuḥ sahāmātyaṁ droṇāya bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having seized Yajñasena Drupada on the very forefront of the battlefield, the Pāṇḍavas presented him—together with his ministers—as an offering to Droṇa, O bull among the Bhāratas. The act underscores the warrior code of fulfilling one’s teacher’s command, yet it also raises an ethical tension: victory in war is used to settle personal enmity through the instrument of duty to a preceptor.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यज्ञसेनम्: Yajñasena (name)
• यज्ञसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रुपदम्: Drupada
• द्रुपदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गृहीत्वा: having seized/captured
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• रणमूर्धनि: on the battlefield (lit. on the head/top of battle)
• रणमूर्धनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणमूर्धन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• उपाजहुः: they offered/presented
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-हृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• अमात्यम्: minister/counsellor
• अमात्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रोणाय: to Droṇa
• द्रोणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Janamejaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Yajñasena (Drupada)
• Droṇa (Dronācārya)
• ministers (amātya)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the binding force of guru-duty in the kṣatriya world: the disciples execute their teacher’s command even in war. At the same time, it invites reflection on ethical complexity—how personal vendetta can be pursued under the cover of rightful obligation and martial success.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the campaign undertaken for Droṇa, the Pāṇḍavas capture King Drupada (also called Yajñasena) along with his ministers on the battlefield and deliver him to Droṇa as a tribute/gift, fulfilling Droṇa’s objective against his former friend and rival.