Shloka 8

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system

Devanagari script

द्रोणं पजचाशताविध्यद्‌ विंशत्या च बृहद्धलम्‌ । अशीत्या कृतवर्माणं कृप॑ षष्ट्या शिलीमुखै:

Transliteration

droṇaṁ pañcāśatā vidhyad viṁśatyā ca bṛhaddhalam | aśītyā kṛtavarmāṇaṁ kṛpaṁ ṣaṣṭyā śilīmukhaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: He struck Droṇa with fifty arrows, and Bṛhaddhala with twenty; Kṛtavarmā with eighty; and Kṛpa with sixty sharp shafts.

Word by Word

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पञ्चाशता: with fifty (arrows)
• पञ्चाशता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अविध्यत्: pierced
• अविध्यत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विंशत्या: with twenty (arrows)
• विंशत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बृहद्धलम्: Brihadbala
• बृहद्धलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहद्धल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अशीत्या: with eighty (arrows)
• अशीत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशीति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• कृतवर्माणम्: Kritavarman
• कृतवर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृपः: Kripa
• कृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• षष्ट्या: with sixty (arrows)
• षष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शिलीमुखैः: with arrows
• शिलीमुखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलीमुख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• Bṛhaddhala
• Kṛtavarmā
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• śilīmukha (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, prowess is displayed through disciplined, targeted action; yet the very precision of violence also points to the grim ethical weight of battle, where even revered elders and teachers become objects of attack under kṣatriya duty and the tide of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a sequence of successful hits in battle: an unnamed warrior (contextually, the active combatant in this passage) pierces Droṇa, Bṛhaddhala, Kṛtavarmā, and Kṛpa with specified numbers of arrows, emphasizing intensity and dominance in that exchange.