Mahabharata 7.145.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 145, Shloka 2

धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणाभिमुख्यं तथा सात्यकि-कर्ण-समागमः

Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s advance toward Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Karṇa confrontation

Devanagari script

प्रहरिष्यन्‌ हृतो बाहुरदृश्येन किरीटिना । वेगेन न्‍न्यपतद्‌ भूमौ पठ्चास्य इव पन्नग:

Transliteration

praharīṣyan hṛto bāhur adṛśyena kirīṭinā | vegena nyapatad bhūmau pañcāsya iva pannagaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: Cuando aquel brazo se alzó para asestar el golpe, fue cercenado por el disparo invisible y veloz del diademado Arjuna; y con gran ímpetu cayó a la tierra, como una serpiente de cinco cabezas. La imagen subraya la precisión implacable del combate—donde la intención de herir es detenida al instante por una destreza superior—y también insinúa el peso moral de la violencia que, una vez desatada, retorna con consecuencias aterradoras.

Word by Word

• प्रहरिष्यन्: about to strike / intending to strike
• प्रहरिष्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ (धातु) / प्रहरिष्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (वर्तमाने भविष्यत्सन्निकर्षे/भविष्यत्काले प्रयुक्तः), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हृतः: cut off / taken away
• हृतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) / हृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बाहुः: arm
• बाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अदृश्येन: by the unseen / invisible
• अदृश्येन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• किरीटिना: by the diademed one (Arjuna)
• किरीटिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वेगेन: with speed / force
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• न्यपतत्: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पञ्चास्यः: five-mouthed
• पञ्चास्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like / as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पन्नगः: serpent
• पन्नगः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Kirīṭin)
• severed arm (bāhu)
• arrow (implied instrument of severing)
• earth/ground (bhūmi)
• serpent (pannaga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how violent intention in war can be abruptly nullified by a more powerful counteraction, suggesting the moral weight and peril of aggression: the will to strike invites immediate and often devastating consequences, reminding readers of karma-like retribution within the battlefield’s dharmic crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combat moment: an opponent’s arm, lifted to deliver a blow, is cut off by Arjuna’s imperceptibly swift arrow, and the severed arm falls to the ground with great force, compared to a five-hooded serpent dropping down.