Shloka 3

Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Kṛṣṇa’s Rudra-Cosmogony Explanation (सौप्तिक पर्व, अध्याय १७)

Devanagari script

तथा कृतास्त्रविक्रान्ता: सहस्रशतयोधिन: । द्रुपदस्यात्मजाश्वैव द्रोणपुत्रेण पातिता:,“ट्रुपदके पुत्र तो अस्त्र-विद्याके पूरे पण्डित, पराक्रमी तथा लाखों योद्धाओंके साथ युद्ध करनेमें समर्थ थे तो भी द्रोणपुत्रने उन्हें मार गिराया, यह कितने आश्वर्यकी बात है?

Transliteration

tathā kṛtāstravikrāntāḥ sahasraśatayodhinaḥ | drupadasyātmajāś caiva droṇaputreṇa pātitāḥ ||

Translation

“Drupada’s sons were masters of weapon-craft, famed for valor, able to face hundreds and thousands of fighters—yet Droṇa’s son struck them down. How astonishing!”

Word by Word

तथाthus, even so

कृतास्त्रविक्रान्ताःvaliant/renowned in the use of weapons

सहस्रशतयोधिनःfighters equal to thousands and hundreds (i.e., very mighty warriors)

द्रुपदस्यof Drupada

आत्मजाःsons

एवindeed, even

द्रोणपुत्रेणby the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāman)

पातिताःfelled, slain, made to fall

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Drupada

Drupada’s sons (Dhr̥ṣṭadyumna and others, implied)

Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā)

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 shocking collapse of ordinary expectations of battlefield merit: even highly trained and heroic warriors can be destroyed when violence shifts into ruthless, rule-breaking modes (here, the night slaughter). It implicitly raises ethical unease about victory gained through methods that bypass fair combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva’s account of the night attack, Vaiśampāyana notes that Drupada’s sons—despite being accomplished and formidable fighters—were killed by Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), emphasizing the devastating effectiveness and moral darkness of the nocturnal assault.