Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तथा द्रोणार्जुनौ चित्रमयुध्येतां महारथौ । आचार्यशिष्यौ राजेन्द्र कृतप्रहरणौ युधि,राजेन्द्र! इसी प्रकार उस युद्धस्थलमें आचार्य और शिष्य महारथी द्रोण तथा अर्जुन परस्पर प्रहार करते हुए विचित्र रीतिसे युद्ध कर रहे थे

Transliteration

tathā droṇārjunau citram ayudhyetāṃ mahārathau | ācāryaśiṣyau rājendra kṛtapraharaṇau yudhi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “So too, O king, the two great chariot-warriors Droṇa and Arjuna—teacher and disciple—fought in a wondrous manner on that battlefield, striking each other in combat.”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

द्रोणDrona

अर्जुनौArjuna

चित्रम्wonderfully, in a striking manner

अयुध्येताम्they two fought

महारथौtwo great chariot-warriors

आचार्यशिष्यौteacher and disciple (the two)

राजेन्द्रO lord of kings

कृतप्रहरणौengaged in striking (having made blows)

युधिin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Droṇa

Arjuna

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 underscores the moral complexity of dharma in war: even sacred relationships like teacher and disciple can be overridden by battlefield obligations, revealing how conflict tests loyalty, reverence, and righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa and Arjuna, both famed mahārathas and bound as teacher and student, are exchanging blows and fighting in an extraordinary, skillful manner on the battlefield.