Shloka 116

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नपिता राजन्‌ द्रोणमेवाभ्यवर्तत । राजन! पांचाल-सैनिकोंसे सुरक्षित धृष्टद्युम्न-पिता राजा द्रुपदने भी द्रोणाचार्यका ही सामना किया

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnapitā rājan droṇam evābhyavartata |

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, Drupada—the father of Dhṛṣṭadyumna—though protected by the Pañcāla troops, advanced to confront Droṇācārya himself. The moment lays bare the grim ethics of war: personal enmity and duty converge as a father-king enters direct combat against a formidable teacher-warrior.

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नपिता: the father of Dhrishtadyumna (Drupada)
• धृष्टद्युम्नपिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न-पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अभ्यवर्तत: approached/advanced against
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Drupada
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Pañcāla troops (Pañcāla-sainika)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid collective warfare, dharma often manifests as personal responsibility: a ruler and father does not remain behind protection but steps forward to face the decisive moral and martial challenge, where past enmity and present duty meet.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Drupada, father of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, advances—despite being guarded by Pañcāla soldiers—to engage Droṇācārya directly on the battlefield.