Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततो विराटटद्रुपदौ द्रोणं प्रययतू रणे

Transliteration

tato virāṭa-drupadau droṇaṃ prayayatu raṇe

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, in the midst of battle, Virāṭa and Drupada advanced against Droṇa. The narration highlights how senior kings, bound by alliance and kṣatriya-duty, confront a revered teacher on the battlefield—an encounter where loyalty, obligation, and the tragic costs of war converge.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from/thereafter')

• विराटः: Virāṭa
• विराटः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• द्रुपदः: Drupada
• द्रुपदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्रोणम्: Droṇa
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रययतुः: the two went/advanced
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु: या)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Virāṭa
• Drupada
• Droṇa
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma and political obligation: even venerable figures like Droṇa become opponents when duty to one’s side and alliance commitments demand action, revealing the ethical strain and sorrow inherent in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Virāṭa and Drupada together move forward in the battle to engage Droṇa, marking a direct confrontation between prominent allied kings and the formidable Kaurava commander.