Shloka 10

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच आचार्य निहते द्रोणे धृष्टद्युम्नेन संयुगे । निहते वज्रहस्तेन यथा वृत्रे महासुरे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca

ācārye nihate droṇe dhṛṣṭadyumnena saṃyuge |

nihate vajrahastena yathā vṛtre mahāsure ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “When the preceptor Droṇa was slain in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna—just as the great asura Vṛtra was slain by the wielder of the thunderbolt—then …”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• आचार्ये: when/with the teacher (Droṇa) (being ...)
• आचार्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निहते: slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• द्रोणे: Droṇa
• द्रोणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नेन: by Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निहते: when (he) was slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• वज्रहस्तेन: by the one with the thunderbolt in hand (Indra)
• वज्रहस्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वृत्रे: Vṛtra
• वृत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महासुरे: in/when the great asura (was slain)
• महासुरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Droṇa
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Vajrahasta (Indra)
• Vṛtra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of actions in war: even when a killing is strategically decisive or seemingly destined, slaying a revered teacher (ācārya) carries profound moral gravity. By invoking Indra’s slaying of Vṛtra, it frames the event as world-altering, yet invites reflection on dharma amid necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira refers to the moment after Droṇa has been killed in battle by Dhṛṣṭadyumna. He compares this to Indra (the thunderbolt-wielder) killing the great asura Vṛtra, emphasizing that Droṇa’s fall is a decisive turning point in the Kurukṣetra war.