Mahabharata 7.203.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 203, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततो द्रुतमतिक्रम्य सिंहलाडगूलकेतनम्‌ । सव्यसाची महेष्वासमश्चृत्थामानमब्रवीत्‌,सव्यसाची अर्जुन सिंहकी पूँछके चिह्नवाली ध्वजासे युक्त महाधनुर्थर अश्वत्थामाके पास तुरंत आकर उससे इस प्रकार बोले--

Transliteration

tato drutam atikramya siṁhalāṅgūla-ketanam | savyasācī maheṣvāsam aśvatthāmānam abravīt ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Arjuna, célebre como Savyasācī, avanzó con presteza, pasando junto al guerrero cuyo estandarte llevaba el emblema de una cola de león, y se dirigió a Aśvatthāmā, el gran arquero, diciendo así—

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-अर्थे)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (द्रु धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• अतिक्रम्य: having crossed/overstepped, having gone beyond
• अतिक्रम्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सिंह-लाङ्गूल-केतनम्: having a banner marked with a lion's tail
• सिंह-लाङ्गूल-केतनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केतन (प्रातिपदिक) / सिंह, लाङ्गूल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सव्यसाची: Savyasācin (Arjuna)
• सव्यसाची: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्यसाचिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महा-इष्वासम्: the great archer
• महा-इष्वासम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्वास (प्रातिपदिक) / महा
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अश्वत्थामानम्: Aśvatthāman
• अश्वत्थामानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Savyasācī)
• Aśvatthāmā
• Banner/standard (ketana) with lion-tail emblem (siṁha-lāṅgūla)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined agency in war: a warrior does not act blindly but advances with purpose and then speaks—suggesting that intention, challenge, and accountability (speech) frame the ethical weight of the coming combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna (Savyasācī) quickly advances and addresses Aśvatthāmā, the great archer. The mention of the banner with a lion-tail emblem serves as a battlefield identifier as Arjuna closes in to speak.