Shloka 25

Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana

Devanagari script

ततो दुर्योधन: कृष्णौ नवभिर्नवशभि: शरै:

Transliteration

tato duryodhanaḥ kṛṣṇau navabhir navaśabhiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Duryodhana, pressing the battle forward, struck the two Kṛṣṇas with nine arrows—an act that reflects the war’s relentless escalation, where even revered allies are treated as targets amid the collapse of restraint.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• कृष्णौ: the two Krishnas (Krishna and Arjuna)
• कृष्णौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, accusative, dual

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, instrumental, plural (numeral used adjectivally)

• नवशभिः: ninefold (in sets of nine)
• नवशभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, instrumental, plural (distributive: 'ninefold/in groups of nine')

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, instrumental, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• the two Kṛṣṇas (kṛṣṇau)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, determination and hostility can override reverence and restraint; it invites reflection on the ethical cost of treating even honored figures merely as opponents, illustrating the moral erosion that prolonged conflict can produce.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana shoots nine arrows at “the two Kṛṣṇas” (kṛṣṇau), indicating he targets two individuals bearing the name Kṛṣṇa; the line functions as a brief battlefield action report within the larger Drona Parva combat sequence.