Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ये च ते<भ्यद्रवन्‌ द्रोणं व्यूढानीका: प्रहारिण: । सृञ्जया: सह पज्चालैस्ते5प्यकुर्वन्‌ कथं रणम्‌,प्रहार करनेमें कुशल जिन सूंजयों और पांचालोंने अपनी सेनाका व्यूह बनाकर द्रोणाचार्यपर धावा किया था, उन्होंने किस प्रकार संग्राम किया?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

ye ca te 'bhyadravan droṇaṃ vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ |

sṛñjayāḥ saha pāñcālais te 'py akurvan kathaṃ raṇam ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “And those Sṛñjayas, together with the Pāñcālas—skilled in striking blows—who, having arrayed their forces in battle-formation, charged at Droṇa: how did they too conduct themselves in the fight?”

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

चand

तेthey

अभ्यद्रवन्ran towards / charged

द्रोणम्Drona

व्यूढ-अनीकाःwith troops arrayed (in formation)

प्रहारिणःstrikers; attackers

सृञ्जयाःthe Sṛñjayas

सहtogether with

पाञ्चालैःwith the Panchalas

तेthey

अपिalso

अकुर्वन्did; performed

कथम्how?

रणम्battle; combat

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Sṛñjayas

Pāñcālas

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 disciplined warfare: armies act through deliberate formation (vyūha) and trained striking (prahāra). Ethically, it frames combat as a matter of organized duty and capability rather than mere chaos—inviting reflection on how power and skill are exercised in a dharmic (rule-bound) or adharmic (rule-breaking) manner.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions the narrator about the allied Pāṇḍava-side forces—Sṛñjayas and Pāñcālas—who formed a battle-array and charged Droṇa. He asks specifically how they fought against him in that engagement.