Shloka 11

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

ततो निक्षिप्य राजानं धृष्टझुम्ने च पाण्डवम्‌

Transliteration

tato nikṣipya rājānaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumne ca pāṇḍavam

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, having set down the king, and also Dhṛṣṭadyumna—the Pāṇḍava ally—(the action continued). The line signals a tactical pause in the midst of battle: a leader is placed aside or brought to safety, and attention shifts to the next decisive engagement, underscoring how duty in war often demands swift, unsentimental transitions between protecting commanders and pressing the fight.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/then')

• निक्षिप्य: having cast/laid down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-क्षिप्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), active; 'having thrown/placed down'

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular

• धृष्टद्युम्ने: in/with regard to Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, locative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction)

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (son of Pandu)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• the king (rājā)
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid violence, responsibility centers on safeguarding leadership and acting decisively; the verse’s brief transition highlights the ethical tension of war-dharma—protecting key persons while continuing one’s assigned role without hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment where the king is set down (likely after being carried or moved), and Dhṛṣṭadyumna is brought into focus, marking a shift to the next phase of the battlefield action.