Mahabharata 7.175.23 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कर्णेनाभ्याहता राजन्‌ पञ्चाला: परमेषुभि: । द्रोणेन च दिश: सर्वा वीक्षमाणा: प्रदुद्र॒ुवु:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca

karṇenābhyāhatā rājan pāñcālāḥ parameṣubhiḥ |

droṇena ca diśaḥ sarvā vīkṣamāṇāḥ pradudruvuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, struck down by Karṇa’s finest arrows, and also by Droṇa’s shafts, the Pāñcāla warriors—glancing in all directions in fear and confusion—broke ranks and fled.

Word by Word

• कर्णेन: by Karna
• कर्णेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्याहताः: struck, wounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-आ-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पञ्चालाः: the Panchalas
• पञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परमेषुभिः: with excellent arrows
• परमेषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-इषु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• द्रोणेन: by Drona
• द्रोणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• वीक्षमाणाः: looking (towards), glancing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीक्ष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रदुद्रुवुः: they ran away, fled
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-द्रु
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by rājan)
• Karṇa
• Droṇa
• Pāñcālas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming force and skilled leadership can shatter morale: when fear spreads, discipline collapses and soldiers scatter. Ethically, it underscores that in war, inner steadiness and cohesion are as decisive as weapons; panic leads to disorder and vulnerability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that the Pāñcāla troops, wounded by Karṇa’s excellent arrows and pressed by Droṇa as well, look around in alarm and flee in all directions, indicating a rout on that part of the battlefield.