Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत क्षत्रियांस्तत्र धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । अभिद्रवत संयत्ता: कुम्भयोनिं महारथा:

Transliteration

abravīt kṣatriyāṁs tatra dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | abhadravata saṁyattāḥ kumbhayoniṁ mahārathāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: There, King Yudhiṣṭhira—the upholder of dharma—addressed the assembled kṣatriya warriors: “Charge forth, fully armed, against Kumbhayoni (Droṇa)!” Thus he urged the great chariot-fighters to advance, framing the battle-command as a duty-bound act within the harsh demands of war.

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• क्षत्रियान्: the Kshatriyas/warriors
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yudhishthira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभिद्रवत: ran towards/charged at
• अभिद्रवत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संयत्ताः: prepared/arrayed (for battle)
• संयत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-√यम् (धातु) → संयत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुम्भयोनिम्: the one born from a pot (Drona)
• कुम्भयोनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भयोनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• Kumbhayoni (Droṇa)
• kṣatriya warriors
• mahārathas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a ruler famed for dharma must sometimes issue severe commands in war; the verse highlights the kṣatriya obligation to act decisively while keeping the moral weight of such action in view through Yudhiṣṭhira’s epithet ‘Dharmarāja’.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the warriors and orders them—fully armed and ready—to charge against Droṇa, here called Kumbhayoni, urging the great chariot-fighters to press the attack.