Mahabharata 7.193.32 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 193, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्य पारावतानश्चान्‌ रथशक्‍्त्या पराभिनत्‌ | सवनिकैकशो द्रोणो रक्तानश्वान्‌ विवर्जयन्‌,द्रोणाचार्यने लाल घोड़ोंको बचाते हुए रथशक्तिका प्रहार करके बारी-बारीसे कबूतरके समान रंगवाले सभी घोड़ोंको मार डाला

Transliteration

tasya pārāvatān aśvān rathaśaktyā parābhinat | savanikaikaśo droṇo raktān aśvān vivarjayan ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: Droṇa, perdonando a los caballos rojos, derribó—uno tras otro—con una lanza arrojada desde su carro a todos los caballos de color de paloma.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (of Drona)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पारावतान्: pigeon-colored (horses)
• पारावतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रथशक्त्या: with a chariot-spear (shakti used from a chariot)
• रथशक्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथशक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पराभिनत्: he struck down / smote
• पराभिनत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अभि + नद्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सवनिक: successively / in turn
• सवनिक: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सवनिक

• एकशः: one by one
• एकशः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकशस्

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रक्तान्: red (horses)
• रक्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विवर्जयन्: sparing / avoiding / leaving out
• विवर्जयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वर्ज्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• chariot (ratha)
• spear/lance (śakti)
• horses (aśvāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, actions can reflect intention and discrimination: Drona’s choice to spare certain horses while destroying others highlights that agency and selectivity persist amid violence, raising ethical questions about necessity, proportionality, and purpose in kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Droṇa, using a spear from his chariot, kills the dove-coloured horses one by one, while deliberately sparing the red horses—an episode emphasizing battlefield dominance and tactical targeting.