Shloka 27

द्रोणानीक-व्यतिक्रमः — Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Break Through Droṇa’s Array

Devanagari script

शकट: पद्मकश्चार्धो व्यूहो द्रोणेन निर्मित: । पद्मकर्णिकमध्यस्थ: सूचीपाश्चे जयद्रथ:

Transliteration

śakaṭaḥ padmakaś cārdho vyūho droṇena nirmitaḥ | padmakarṇikāmadhyasthaḥ sūcīpāś ca jayadrathaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Droṇa disposa un dispositif de combat formé du Śakaṭa et du Padmaka, auquel il ajouta encore une demi-formation. Au centre même—tel le cœur du lotus—se tenait Jayadratha, et derrière lui furent placées des troupes acérées comme une aiguille (perçantes).

Word by Word

शकटःthe Śakaṭa (cart-shaped) formation

पद्मकःthe Padmaka (lotus) formation

चand

अर्धःhalf

व्यूहःbattle-array; formation

द्रोणेनby Droṇa

निर्मितःconstructed; arranged

पद्मकर्णिकमध्यस्थःstationed in the middle of the lotus-pericarp

सूचीपाश्चेin the Sūcīpāśa (needle-noose) [position/array]

जयद्रथःJayadratha

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa

Jayadratha

Śakaṭa-vyūha

Padmaka-vyūha

Padmakarṇikā (lotus-pericarp center)

Sūcī (needle-like formation/troops)

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 how martial intelligence can be used to concentrate protection around a single objective, raising ethical questions about means and ends in war: when strategy serves a vow or revenge, it can intensify conflict and test the boundaries of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa has arranged complex formations—Śakaṭa and Padmaka (with an additional half-array)—and has placed Jayadratha at the very center (the ‘lotus-pericarp’), with needle-like forces behind, indicating a layered defensive setup to shield Jayadratha from attack.