Shloka 6

Saubhadra under Concentrated Assault; Pārṣata’s Intervention and Escalation

Devanagari script

तथास्य चतुरो वाहांक्षतुर्भि: सायकोत्तमै: । पीडयामास संक्रुद्धो धृष्टद्युम्नस्य मारिष,आर्य! क्रोधमें भरे हुए द्रोणाचार्यने चार उत्तम सायकोंसे धृष्टद्युम्नके चारों घोड़ोंको भी बहुत पीड़ा दी

Transliteration

tathāsya caturo vāhāṁś caturbhiḥ sāyakottamaiḥ | pīḍayāmāsa saṅkruddho dhṛṣṭadyumnasya māriṣa ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: Then, in his fury, Droṇācārya tormented the four horses of Dhṛṣṭadyumna with four excellent arrows—pressing the battle forward by striking at the very means of his opponent’s mobility and control in war.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

अस्यof him / his

चand

चतुरःfour

वाहान्horses (draught-animals)

चतुर्भिःwith four

सायकोत्तमैःwith excellent arrows

पीडयामासtormented, caused pain

संक्रुद्धःenraged

धृष्टद्युम्नस्यof Dhrishtadyumna

मारिषO noble one / sir

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Droṇācārya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

four horses (vāhāḥ)

arrows (sāyakāḥ)

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?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) intensifies violence and shapes battlefield choices: Droṇa, driven by wrath, targets not only the warrior but also the horses—showing how passion can broaden harm and escalate conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Droṇācārya, enraged, shoots four superb arrows to afflict the four horses of Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s chariot, a tactical strike aimed at impairing his opponent’s movement and effectiveness in battle.