Shloka 57

द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa

Devanagari script

त एनमभिनर्दन्तो विधुन्वाना धनूंषि च

Transliteration

ta enam abhinardanto vidhunvānā dhanūṃṣi ca

Translation

Sañjaya said: Roaring loudly at him, they shook and brandished their bows as well—an outward display of fierce resolve meant to intimidate the foe and rally their own spirits amid the moral strain of battle.

Word by Word

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

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिनर्दन्तः: roaring at (him), shouting against
• अभिनर्दन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-नर्द्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• विधुन्वानाः: shaking, brandishing
• विधुन्वानाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धू
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शानच् (present middle participle)

• धनूंषि: bows
• धनूंषि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• enam (a male person addressed/targeted, unspecified in this half-verse)
• dhanus (bows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychological dimension of warfare: warriors use sound and display (roaring, brandishing bows) to project courage and unsettle the opponent, showing how external acts can bolster internal resolve even when the conflict carries ethical weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of fighters confronts a particular man and, roaring at him, shakes and brandishes their bows—signaling readiness to engage and attempting to intimidate him before or during combat.