Shloka 206

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

तेषां तु षट्‌ सहस्राणि ये शिखण्डिनमन्वयु: । पांचालोंके जो बारह हजार महारथी युद्धमें लड़ रहे थे, उनमेंसे छः हजार इस समय शिखण्डीके पीछे चलते थे

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tu ṣaṭ-sahasrāṇi ye śikhaṇḍinam anvayuḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Of those warriors, six thousand followed behind Śikhaṇḍin. In the press of battle, a substantial portion of the Pāñcāla host aligned itself with him, showing how formations and chosen leaders shaped both strategy and the moral weight of the fight.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• षट्: six
• षट्: Karta
• Type: Numeral
• Root: षष्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिखण्डिनम्: Shikhaṇḍin (Shikhandi)
• शिखण्डिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्वयुः: followed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + या
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śikhaṇḍin

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective action in war depends on chosen leadership and alignment; large numbers gathering behind a figure like Śikhaṇḍin shows the ethical weight of command—decisions about whom to follow shape the course of violence and responsibility within kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports battlefield positioning: six thousand warriors move in Śikhaṇḍin’s wake, indicating a significant contingent forming behind him as the fighting intensifies.