Shloka 31

Devanagari script

धनुर्मष्टिरशीर्णश्व हस्तावापश्च माधव । द्रोणस्य निहतस्याजौ दृश्यते जीवतो यथा,माधव! युद्धमें मारे जानेपर भी द्रोणाचार्यके धनुषके साथ जुड़ी हुई मुट्ठी ढीली नहीं हुई है। दस्ताना भी ज्यों-का-त्यों दिखायी देता है, मानो वह जीवित पुरुषके हाथमें हो

Transliteration

dhanurmuṣṭir aśīrṇaśva-hastāvāpaś ca mādhava | droṇasya nihatasyaājau dṛśyate jīvato yathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô Mādhava, bien que Droṇa ait été tué sur le champ de bataille, la main qui serre la poignée de l’arc ne s’est pas relâchée ; le gant et le protège-main paraissent tels qu’ils étaient, si bien qu’on dirait qu’ils sont encore à la main d’un homme vivant.»

Word by Word

धनुःbow

मष्टिःfist; grip (of the hand)

अशीर्णnot loosened; not fallen apart

हस्तावापःhand-guard; glove (lit. hand-covering)

चand

माधवO Mādhava (Krishna)

द्रोणस्यof Droṇa

निहतस्यof the slain

अजौin battle

दृश्यतेis seen; appears

जीवतःof a living (man); while alive

यथाas if; just as

माधवO Mādhava

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

bow (dhanus)

bow-grip/fist (muṣṭi)

glove/hand-guard (aśva-hastāvāpa)

battlefield (āja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the haunting residue of violence: even after a great teacher-warrior is killed, the signs of disciplined martial readiness seem to persist. It deepens the ethical lament of the Strī Parva by showing how war dehumanizes and leaves behind disturbing images that intensify remorse and reflection on dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes to Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) a striking sight on the battlefield: Droṇa, though slain, still appears as if alive because his hand remains fixed on the bow-grip and the protective glove/guard looks unchanged. The description serves as a vivid detail in the post-battle scene of sorrow and shock.