Shloka 28

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

मृद्नतस्तान्यनीकानि निध्नतश्चापि सायकै: । बभूव रूपं॑ द्रोणस्प कालाग्नेरिव दीप्यत:,पांचालोंकी उन सेनाओंको रौंदते और बाणोंद्वारा उनका संहार करते हुए द्रोणाचार्यका स्वरूप प्रलयकालकी प्रज्वलित अग्निके समान जान पड़ता था

Transliteration

mṛdnatas tāny anīkāni nidhna­taś cāpi sāyakaiḥ | babhūva rūpaṃ droṇasya kālāgner iva dīpyataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: As Droṇa trampled those battle-formations and cut them down with volleys of arrows, his appearance blazed like the fire of cosmic dissolution—an image of overwhelming martial power that turns the battlefield into a scene of inevitable ruin.

Word by Word

• मृद्नतः: of (him) crushing/trampling
• मृद्नतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपद-कर्तरि, पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अनीकानि: armies/forces
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• निध्नतः: of (him) slaying/destroying
• निध्नतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपद-कर्तरि, पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बभूव: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण भूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रूपम्: form/appearance
• रूपम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्रोणस्य: of Droṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कालाग्नेः: of the fire of Time (doomsday fire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालाग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• दीप्यतः: of (it) blazing
• Type: Verb
• Root: दीप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपद-कर्तरि, पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• anīkāni (battle-formations/armies)
• sāyaka (arrows)
• kālāgni (pralaya-fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses the simile of kālāgni (the end-time fire) to show how unchecked martial force can resemble cosmic, impersonal destruction—highlighting the terrifying scale of war and the way individual agency can appear swallowed by Kāla (Time) on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa is crushing enemy battle-arrays and killing warriors with arrows; his battlefield presence is depicted as blazing like the fire of dissolution, emphasizing his dominance and the devastation he causes at this moment.