Mahabharata 7.116.28 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 28

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

अर्जुन समरे दृष्टवा सैन्धवस्याग्रत: स्थितम्‌ । पुत्रो मम भृशं मूढ: कि कार्य प्रत्यपद्यत,अर्जुनको समरांगणमें सिन्धुराजके सामने खड़ा देख अत्यन्त मोहग्रस्त हुए मेरे पुत्रने कौन-सा कर्तव्य निश्चित किया?

Transliteration

arjunaṃ samare dṛṣṭvā saindhavasyāgrataḥ sthitam | putro mama bhṛśaṃ mūḍhaḥ kiṃ kāryaṃ pratyapadyata ||

Translation

Melihat Arjuna berdiri di medan laga tepat di hadapan raja Sindhu, putraku menjadi sangat bingung; kewajiban apa yang ia putuskan untuk ditempuh?

Word by Word

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna (as object: Arjuna)
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• सैन्धवस्य: of the Saindhava (Jayadratha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्धव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अग्रतः: in front (of), before
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• स्थितम्: standing, stationed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: of me, my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• भृशम्: exceedingly, greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्

• मूढः: bewildered, deluded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्यं: duty, what is to be done
• कार्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रत्यपद्यत: resorted to, decided upon, undertook
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Ātmanepada, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Jayadratha (Saindhava, Sindhu king)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'my son')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the pressure of war, ethical action (kārya/duty) must be consciously chosen even when the mind is clouded by moha (bewilderment). It frames decision-making as a moral problem, not merely a tactical one.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna is positioned directly before Jayadratha on the battlefield. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, anxious about his son’s fate, asks what his son—overcome by confusion—decided to do in response to this confrontation.