Shloka 2

Droṇa-pātana-paripṛcchā (Inquiry into the Fall of Droṇa) | द्रोणपातनपरिपृच्छा

Devanagari script

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा धृष्टद्युम्नधनंजयौ । अब्रवीत्‌ सर्वतो यत्तै: कुम्भयोनिर्निवार्यताम्‌,तब राजा युधिष्ठिरने धृष्टद्युम्म और अर्जुनसे कहा--“वीरो! मेरे सैनिकोंको सब ओरसे प्रयत्नशील होकर द्रोणाचार्यको रोकना चाहिये”

Transliteration

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dhṛṣṭadyumnadhanañjayau | abravīt sarvato yatnaiḥ kumbhayonir nivāryatām ||

Translation

Alors le roi Yudhiṣṭhira s’adressa à Dhṛṣṭadyumna et à Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) : «Par l’effort de tous côtés, il faut contenir Droṇa, le fils du sage né de la jarre.»

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

राजाthe king

धृष्टद्युम्नDhṛṣṭadyumna

धनंजयौthe two Dhanañjayas (Arjuna and another addressed as Dhanañjaya) / or (contextually) Arjuna (dual used with Dhṛṣṭadyumna as a pair)

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

सर्वतःfrom all sides, on all sides

यत्तैःwith efforts, by exertions

कुम्भयोनिःKumbhayoni (Droṇa; lit. ‘born from a pot’)

निवार्यताम्let (him) be restrained / should be checked

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)

Droṇa (Kumbhayoni)

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?

Even in righteous warfare, leadership demands coordinated action to contain overwhelming harm. The verse highlights the ethical tension of resisting a revered teacher (Droṇa) while prioritizing protection of one’s army and fulfilling one’s duty in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira instructs the Pāṇḍava commanders Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Arjuna to make concerted efforts on all fronts to restrain Droṇa, whose prowess is threatening the Pāṇḍava forces.