Shloka 32

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

श्रुतकीर्ति श्रुतनिधिं द्रौपदेयं हयोत्तमा: । ऊहूुः पार्थसमं युद्धे चाषपत्रनिभा हया:,इसी प्रकार युद्धमें अर्जुनकी समानता करनेवाले, शास्त्रज्ञानके भण्डार द्रौपदीनन्दन अर्जुनकुमार श्रुतकीर्तिकों नीलकण्ठकी पाँखके समान रंगवाले उत्तम घोड़े रणक्षेत्रमें ले गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

śrutakīrtiḥ śrutanidhiṁ draupadeyaṁ hayottamāḥ |

ūhuḥ pārthasamaṁ yuddhe cāṣapatranibhā hayāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Excellent horses, dark-hued like the feathers of a peacock, bore Śrutakīrti—the son of Draupadī, a treasury of sacred learning—into the battlefield, where he strove to match Pārtha (Arjuna) in combat.

Word by Word

श्रुतकीर्तिःShrutakirti (name of a warrior)

श्रुतनिधिम्treasure/store of learning (epithet)

द्रौपदेयम्son of Draupadi (Draupadeya)

हयोत्तमाःexcellent horses

ऊहुःcarried / bore / led

पार्थसमम्equal to Partha (Arjuna)

युद्धेin battle

चand

अश्वपत्रनिभाःresembling a peacock-feather (in color/appearance)

हयाःhorses

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śrutakīrti

Draupadī

Pārtha (Arjuna)

horses

battlefield

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 an ideal of kṣatriya conduct: courage in battle should be supported by śruta (learned wisdom). Even in war, excellence is not merely physical prowess but also disciplined knowledge and worthy emulation of exemplary heroes like Arjuna.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śrutakīrti, identified as Draupadī’s son and praised as a repository of learning, being carried into the fight by superior horses whose color is compared to peacock feathers; he is portrayed as contending in battle on a level comparable to Arjuna.