Shloka 20

द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa

Devanagari script

रक्षितं मद्रराजेन कृपेण च महात्मना । जयद्रथं रणमुखे कथं हन्याद्‌ धनंजय:,“मद्रराज शल्य और महामना कृपाचार्यसे सुरक्षित हुए जयद्रथको अर्जुन युद्धके मुहानेपर कैसे मार सकेंगे?

Transliteration

rakṣitaṁ madrarājena kṛpeṇa ca mahātmanā | jayadrathaṁ raṇamukhe kathaṁ hanyād dhanañjayaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Quand Jayadratha est protégé au tout premier rang du combat par le roi de Madra (Śalya) et par le magnanime Kṛpa, comment Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) pourrait-il l’abattre là ?»

Word by Word

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मद्रराजेन: by the king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्रराजेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कृपेण: by Kripa
• कृपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• जयद्रथम्: Jayadratha
• जयद्रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयद्रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणमुखे: in the forefront of battle
• रणमुखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• हन्यात्: could/should kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनंजयः: Dhananjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Madrarāja Śalya
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Jayadratha
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Madra
• battlefront (raṇamukha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between humanly formidable obstacles and a hero’s vowed resolve: even when protected by eminent warriors, a wrongdoer may still be brought to justice through determined effort, skill, and the unfolding of destiny within the dharma-yuddha framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the battlefield situation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Jayadratha is positioned and guarded at the battlefront by Śalya and Kṛpa, making Arjuna’s task of killing Jayadratha appear extremely difficult.