Shloka 42

Devanagari script

निरुद्धाश्न वयं सर्वे सैन्धवेन दुरात्मना | निमित्तमभवद्‌ द्रोण: सपुत्रस्तत्र कर्मणि,“दुरात्मा जयद्रथने हम सब लोगोंको भी व्यूहके बाहर ही रोक लिया था। वहाँ अभिमन्युके वध्में पुत्रसहित द्रोणाचार्य ही कारण हुए थे

Transliteration

niruddhāś ca vayaṁ sarve saindhavena durātmanā | nimittam abhavad droṇaḥ saputras tatra karmaṇi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “All of us were held back and blocked outside by the wicked Saindhava (Jayadratha). In that deed there—Abhimanyu’s slaying—Droṇa, together with his son, became the decisive cause.”

Word by Word

निरुद्धाःrestrained, blocked

स्मindeed/then (past narrative particle)

वयम्we

सर्वेall

सैन्धवेनby the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)

दुरात्मनाby the wicked one

निमित्तम्cause, occasion

अभवत्was, became

द्रोणःDroṇa

सपुत्रःtogether with (his) son

तत्रthere, in that matter

कर्मणिin the act/deed (in that action)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Jayadratha (Saindhava)

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son)

Abhimanyu

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 moral causality in war: wrongdoing is not only the act of killing but also the enabling conditions—blocking allies, orchestrating unfair advantage, and becoming the ‘nimitta’ (instrumental cause). It implicitly critiques adharma by assigning responsibility to those who facilitate and execute the deed.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the battle, Jayadratha prevents the Pandava warriors from entering the formation to protect Abhimanyu. With the defenders held back, Droṇa and his son (Aśvatthāman) are identified as key agents who bring about Abhimanyu’s killing.