Mahabharata 7.21.25 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 25

द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping

Devanagari script

निर्दहन्तमनीकानि तानि तानि पुन: पुनः । द्रोणं मत्स्यादवरज: शतानीको<भ्यवर्तत,उन समस्त सैनिकोंको बार-बार बाणोंकी आगसे दग्ध करते देख विराटके छोटे भाई शतानीक द्रोणाचार्यपर चढ़ आये

Transliteration

nirdahantam anīkāni tāni tāni punaḥ punaḥ | droṇaṃ matsyād-avarajaḥ śatānīko 'bhyavartata ||

Translation

Melihat Droṇa berulang kali membakar formasi-formasi itu dengan api anak panahnya, Śatānīka—adik Virāṭa dari wangsa Matsya—maju menyerbu Droṇācārya.

Word by Word

• निर्दहन्तम्: burning, scorching
• निर्दहन्तम्: कर्म
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्दह् (धातु) / निर्दहन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनीकानि: armies, troops, battle-formations
• अनीकानि: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तानि: those (again, emphatic repetition)
• तानि: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पुनः: again (repeated for emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मत्स्याद्: from the Matsya (king/lineage)
• मत्स्याद्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: पुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• अवरजः: the younger (brother)
• अवरजः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवरज
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शतानीकः: Shatānīka
• शतानीकः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतानीक
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभ्यवर्तत: advanced against, charged at
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Śatānīka
• Virāṭa
• Matsya (kingdom/lineage)
• anīka (battle-formations)
• arrows (as the 'fire' scorching troops)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior-ethic in epic warfare: when a leader’s forces are being annihilated, a kṣatriya is compelled by honor and protective duty to confront the source of devastation, even if that opponent is extraordinarily powerful. It also reflects how skill and authority in war (Droṇa’s mastery) provoke counter-challenges driven by loyalty and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa is repeatedly destroying troop-formations with volleys of arrows likened to fire. Witnessing this, Śatānīka—Virāṭa’s younger brother from the Matsya side—charges forward to engage Droṇa directly, attempting to check the slaughter by attacking the commander himself.