Shloka 9

Devanagari script

धृष्टकेतुं तथा5<यान्तं द्रोणहेतो: पराक्रमी । वीरधन्वा महेष्वासो वारयामास भारत,भारत! इसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्यके हितके लिये महाधनुर्धर पराक्रमी वीरधन्वाने वहाँ आते हुए धृष्टकेतुको रोका

Transliteration

Dhṛṣṭaketuṁ tathāyāntaṁ droṇa-hetoḥ parākramī | vīra-dhanvā maheṣvāso vārayāmāsa bhārata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, as Dhṛṣṭaketu advanced, the mighty archer Vīradhānvā—acting for Droṇa’s sake—checked and held him back, O Bhārata.

Word by Word

• धृष्टकेतुम्: Dhṛṣṭaketu
• धृष्टकेतुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टकेतु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• आयान्तम्: coming, approaching
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ)

• द्रोणहेतोः: for Drona's sake / for the cause of Drona
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण-हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पराक्रमी: valiant, mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराक्रमिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वीरधन्वा: Vīradhanvas (the hero with a bow)
• वीरधन्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेष्वासः: great archer
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वारयामास: checked, restrained, stopped
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय् (णिच्) / वृ
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭaketu
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Vīradhānvā
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma as loyalty-in-action: a warrior restrains an advancing opponent specifically to safeguard his commander (Droṇa). It frames martial ethics as prioritizing protection of one’s leader and strategic duty over personal display.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Dhṛṣṭaketu moves forward to engage, the powerful archer Vīradhānvā intercepts him and prevents his advance, doing so explicitly ‘for Droṇa’s sake,’ while Sañjaya reports this to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.