Mahabharata 7.97.32 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 97, Shloka 32

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

तथैव पार्षतेनापि काल्यमानं बलं तव । अभवत्‌ सर्वतो दीप्तं शुष्क वनमिवाग्निना

Transliteration

tathaiva pārṣatenāpi kālyamānaṃ balaṃ tava | abhavat sarvato dīptaṃ śuṣka-vanam ivāgninā ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Demikian pula, pasukanmu yang terus-menerus dihantam oleh putra Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) tampak menyala dari segala arah—laksana hutan kering yang dilalap api.”

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पार्षतेन: by the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• काल्यमानम्: being driven/harried
• काल्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: काल्य (√कल्/√काल्)
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Passive, Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अभवत्: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• दीप्तम्: blazing, aflame
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (√दीप्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• शुष्कम्: dry
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अग्निना: by fire
• अग्निना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee: 'tava')
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata, son of Pṛṣata)
• Kaurava army (tava balam)
• Fire (agni)
• Dry forest (śuṣka-vanam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the catastrophic momentum of adharma-driven conflict: once violence spreads through an army and its morale collapses, destruction becomes all-consuming—like fire in a dry forest—warning of the ethical and practical consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛṣṭadyumna is forcefully pressing the Kaurava troops, and the Kaurava host appears to be burning on all sides, compared to a dry forest engulfed by fire—an image of rout, panic, and widespread slaughter.