Shloka 87

Devanagari script

ततो मायाधरं द्रौणिर्घटोत्कचसुतं दिवि

Transliteration

tato māyādharaṃ drauṇir ghaṭotkacasutaṃ divi

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman) behelds the sky-borne, illusion-wielding son of Ghaṭotkaca—signaling how the battle has shifted into a contest of supernatural force and counter-force, where prowess is measured not only by arms but by mastery over deceptive powers that can unsettle the moral order of combat.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययः)

• मायाधरम्: the wielder of illusion
• मायाधरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायाधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्रौणिः: Drauni (son of Drona; Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• घटोत्कचसुतम्: the son of Ghatotkacha
• घटोत्कचसुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटोत्कचसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिवि: in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: द्यौ/दिव्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

सयजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)
• Droṇa
• Ghaṭotkaca
• Ghaṭotkaca’s son

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare can devolve into contests of deception and extraordinary power (māyā), raising ethical tension: victory pursued through illusion may destabilize the expected norms of fair combat, even when framed within kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) confronts or observes the son of Ghaṭotkaca moving in the sky and wielding māyā, indicating an aerial, supernatural phase of battle between elite champions.