Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सहिता: संन्यवर्तन्त द्रोणमेव द्विजर्षभम्‌ । इसी प्रकार पाण्डव-सेनाके अन्य महारथी वीर पुरुषसिंह भी एक साथ द्विजदश्रेष्ठ ट्रोणाचार्ुकी ओर ही लौट आये ।। १४ $ ।। तेषु शूरेषु युद्धाय गतेषु भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

sahitāḥ saṃnyavartanta droṇam eva dvijarṣabham | teṣu śūreṣu yuddhāya gateṣu bharatarṣabha

Translation

Sañjaya said: United together, they turned back—toward Droṇa alone, the bull among Brahmins. And when those heroes had gone forth for battle, O best of the Bharatas, events moved toward a decisive confrontation centered on Droṇa.

Word by Word

सहिताḥtogether, united

संन्यवर्तन्तthey turned back/returned

द्रोणम्Drona

एवindeed/only

द्विजर्षभम्the bull among twice-born (best of Brahmins)

तेषुamong them/in them

शूरेषुamong the heroes

युद्धायfor battle

गतेषुhaving gone (when they had gone)

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Pāṇḍava warriors (collective)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'bharatarṣabha')

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a single pivotal leader can become the focal point of an entire battle: the foremost warriors reorient their movement and intent around Droṇa. Ethically, it underscores the gravity of martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) when directed toward a central, formidable opponent, and how collective resolve forms around decisive targets in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the warriors, acting together, turn back toward Droṇa, described as the foremost among the twice-born. The second half sets the scene: as those heroes proceed to fight, the narrative transitions into a battle phase in which Droṇa becomes the central figure drawing the engagement.