Shloka 13

Devanagari script

के<रक्षन्‌ दक्षिणं चक्रं के च द्रोणस्य सव्यत:,कौन-कौन-से योद्धा द्रोणाचार्यके रथके दाहिने पहियेकी रक्षा करते थे और कौन-कौन- से बायें पहियेकी? कौन-कौन-से वीर वीरोंका वध करनेवाले द्रोणाचार्यके पृष्ठभागके रक्षक थे और रणमें शत्रुसैनिकोंका संहार करनेवाले कौन-कौन-से योद्धा आचार्यके आगे-आगे चलते थे?

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ke rakṣan dakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ ke ca droṇasya savyataḥ | ke ke vīrā vīra-hantāro droṇasya pṛṣṭha-rakṣiṇaḥ | ke ca śatru-gaṇaṃ hatvā purastād ācāryam anvayuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Who guarded Droṇa’s right wheel, and who protected his left? Which heroes—slayers of heroes—secured the rear of Droṇa’s chariot? And which warriors, after cutting down the enemy ranks in battle, advanced in front of the preceptor as his vanguard?”

Word by Word

केwho (which persons)

रक्षन्protecting

दक्षिणम्right (side)

चक्रम्wheel

केwho

चand

द्रोणस्यof Droṇa

सव्यतःon the left side

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

chariot wheel (cakra)

right side (dakṣiṇa)

left side (savya)

rear-guard (pṛṣṭha-rakṣiṇaḥ)

vanguard/front (purastāt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma as disciplined protection of a commander: assigning guards to vulnerable points (wheels/flanks), maintaining a rear-guard, and placing a vanguard to clear enemy ranks—showing that valor is inseparable from coordinated responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes and inquires about the Kaurava battle arrangement around Droṇa: who protected the right and left sides of his chariot, who guarded his rear, and who advanced ahead of him as the forward screen while striking down enemy troops.