Shloka 28

द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa

Devanagari script

यथा पाण्डवमुख्योडसौ न हनिष्यति सैन्धवम्‌ । न हि मे युध्यमानस्य सायकानस्यत: शितान्‌

Transliteration

yathā pāṇḍavamukhyo 'sau na haniṣyati saindhavam | na hi me yudhyamānasya sāyakān asyataḥ śitān

Translation

Sañjaya said: “In such a way will that foremost of the Pāṇḍavas not slay Saindhava. For, as I fight and discharge my keen arrows, it is not possible for me (to allow that outcome).”

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• पाण्डवमुख्यः: the chief of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवमुख्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डवमुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असौ: that (man), he
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: असौ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हनिष्यति: will kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सैन्धवम्: Saindhava (Jayadratha)
• सैन्धवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्धव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

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

• युध्यमानस्य: while fighting, of (me) fighting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युध्यमान
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अस्यतः: of (me) throwing/casting
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present active participle (Śatṛ), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शितान्: sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava-mukhya (chief Pāṇḍava warrior)
• Saindhava (Jayadratha)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of determined resistance in war: outcomes are contested through effort, skill, and resolve. It also reflects the ethical tension between a vowed objective (slaying Jayadratha) and the opposing side’s duty to obstruct it through legitimate martial means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the opposing warrior (speaking in the first person) intends to prevent the chief Pāṇḍava from killing Saindhava (Jayadratha). He asserts that, as he continues fighting and shooting sharp arrows, he will not allow the Pāṇḍava’s aim to be fulfilled.