Shloka 216

Devanagari script

द्रोणं तव सुतो राजन्‌ पुनरेवेदमब्रवीत्‌ | संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! इस प्रकार अर्जुनकी प्रशंसा करते हुए द्रोणाचार्यसे उस समय आपके पुत्रने कुपित होकर पुनः इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | droṇaṃ tava suto rājan punar evedam abravīt |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, your son, once again, spoke these words to Droṇa.” The line frames a tense moment in the war narrative: after praising Arjuna, Droṇa becomes the focus of a renewed, angry address from Duryodhana, revealing the ethical strain of command, loyalty, and wounded pride amid battlefield duty.

Word by Word

द्रोणम्Drona (as object)

तवof you/your

सुतःson

राजन्O king

पुनःagain

एवindeed/just

इदम्this (statement)

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan)

Duryodhana (implied by 'tava sutaḥ')

Arjuna (mentioned in the Hindi gloss as the subject of praise)

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 and ego can distort judgment in leadership: even in a righteous duty-bound role, commanders and princes are tested by praise of an opponent and by perceived inadequacy, making self-control and clarity essential to dharma in action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, after hearing praise of Arjuna, becomes upset and again addresses Droṇa—setting up a charged exchange about battlefield performance, responsibility, and strategy.