Shloka 31

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 96: Sātyaki’s Line-Penetration, Encirclement, and Advance toward Arjuna

Devanagari script

त॑ं कथं पाण्डवं युद्धे दहन्‍्तमिव पावकम्‌ | प्रतियोत्स्यामि दुर्धर्ष तमहं शस्त्रकोविदम्‌,त्वरन्नेकरथेनैव समेत्य द्रोणमब्रवीत्‌ । संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! तदनन्तर जब कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन सिन्धुराज जयद्रथका वध करनेकी इच्छासे द्रोणाचार्य और कृतवर्माका दुस्तर सेना-व्यूह भेदन करके आपकी सेनामें प्रविष्ट हो गये और सव्यसाची अर्जुनके हाथसे जब काम्बोजराजकुमार सुदक्षिण तथा पराक्रमी श्रुतायुध मार दिये गये तथा जब सारी सेनाएँ नष्ट-भ्रष्ट होकर चारों ओर भाग खड़ी हुईं, उस समय अपनी सम्पूर्ण सेनामें भगदड़ मची देख आपका पुत्र दुर्योधन बड़ी उतावलीके साथ एकमात्र रथके द्वारा द्रोणाचार्यके पास गया और उनसे मिलकर इस प्रकार बोला-- जिसने भोजवंशी कृतवर्मा तथा देवताओंके समान तेजस्वी आपको भी अपने अस्त्रके प्रतापसे पराजित कर दिया, श्रुतायुका संहार कर डाला, काम्बोजराज सुदक्षिण तथा राजा श्रुतायुधको भी मार डाला, श्रुतायु, अच्युतायु तथा सहसरों म्लेच्छ सैनिकोंके भी प्राण ले लिये, युद्धमें अग्निके समान शत्रुओंको दग्ध करनेवाले और अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंके ज्ञाता उस दुर्धर्ष वीर पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनके साथ मैं कैसे युद्ध कर सकूँगा?

Transliteration

taṁ kathaṁ pāṇḍavaṁ yuddhe dahantam iva pāvakam | pratiyotsyāmi durdharṣaṁ tam ahaṁ śastrakovidam, tvarann ekarathenaiva sametya droṇam abravīt |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King! How can I, in battle, oppose that Pāṇḍava—Arjuna—who blazes like fire, who is irresistible, and who is skilled in weapons?” Saying this, Duryodhana hurriedly approached Droṇa with only a single chariot and addressed him.

Word by Word

तम्him

कथम्how

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (Arjuna)

युद्धेin battle

दहन्तम्burning (scorching)

इवlike, as

पावकम्fire

प्रतियोत्स्यामिshall fight against

दुर्धर्षम्hard to assail, formidable

तम्him

अहम्I

शस्त्रकोविदम्skilled in weapons

त्वरन्hastening

एकरथेनwith a single chariot

एवindeed, only

समेत्यhaving approached, meeting

द्रोणम्Drona

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Duryodhana

Arjuna

Droṇa

Pāṇḍava (as epithet of Arjuna)

fire (pāvaka, as simile)

chariot (ratha)

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 highlights the ethical tension between recognizing true excellence (Arjuna’s disciplined mastery) and persisting in a destructive course due to ego, obligation, and political entanglement. It implicitly warns that when leadership is driven by pride rather than dharma, even clear perception of danger and merit does not translate into right action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna’s devastating advance through the Kaurava forces, Duryodhana—seeing the rout—admits he cannot face Arjuna, who seems like a consuming fire. In haste he goes alone in a single chariot to Droṇa to seek support and to press him to respond to Arjuna’s onslaught.