Shloka 1

धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका १ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ३७ “लोक हैं।) नवमो<्ध्याय: द्रोणाचार्यकी मृत्युका समाचार सुनकर धृतराष्ट्रका शोक करना धृतराष्ट उवाच कि कुर्वाणं रणे द्रोणं जघ्नु: पाण्डवसूंजया: । तथा निपुणमस्त्रेषु सर्वशस्त्रभूतामपि,धृतराष्ट्र बोले--संजय! रणक्षेत्रमें द्रोणाचार्य क्या कर रहे थे कि पाण्डव तथा सूंजय उनपर चोट कर सके? वे तो सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ और अस्त्र-विद्यामें निपुण थे

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | kiṁ kurvāṇaṁ raṇe droṇaṁ jaghnuḥ pāṇḍava-sūñjayāḥ | tathā nipuṇam astreṣu sarva-śastra-bhūtām api ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, what was Droṇa doing on the battlefield that the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas were able to strike him down? He was supremely skilled in missile-weapons and, indeed, foremost among all who bear arms.”

Word by Word

• कुर्वाणम्: doing, engaged in doing
• कुर्वाणम्: कर्म
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वाण (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: अधिकारण
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जघ्नुः: slew, killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सञ्जय: O Sanjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: सञ्जय
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• निपुणम्: skilled, expert
• निपुणम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुण
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अस्त्रेषु: in weapons (missiles/arms)
• अस्त्रेषु: अधिकारण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: नपुं, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• सर्वशस्त्रभूताम्: one who had become (as it were) all weapons / embodying all weapons
• सर्वशस्त्रभूताम्: कर्म
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शस्त्र-भूत (भू + क्त, कृदन्त) → सर्वशस्त्रभूत
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Sṛñjayas (Sūñjayaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical shock that arises when extraordinary martial excellence still ends in defeat. It invites reflection on the limits of skill and power in the face of destiny, strategy, and moral complexity in war—especially when revered teachers become targets.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing news of Droṇa’s fall, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, overwhelmed and incredulous, asks Sañjaya how the Pāṇḍavas and their allies (the Sṛñjayas) could have managed to strike down a warrior-teacher famed as the best among armed men and highly expert in astras.