Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वयं द्रोणं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम्‌ । पार्षतप्रमुखान्‌ पार्थनिभ्यवर्षाम सायकै:,उस समय हमलोग सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणाचार्यको आगे करके धृष्टद्युम्न आदि पाण्डव-सैनिकोंपर बाण-वर्षा कर रहे थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vayaṁ droṇaṁ puraskṛtya sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam | pārṣatapramukhān pārthanibhya varṣāma sāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Placing Droṇa—foremost among all bearers of weapons—at our head, we were showering arrows upon the Pāṇḍava forces led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, seeking to break their advance through disciplined, concentrated assault under a master of arms.

Word by Word

वयम्we

द्रोणम्Drona

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put forward

सर्वशस्त्रभृताम्of all weapon-bearers

वरम्the best, the foremost

पार्षतप्रमुखान्those headed by Dhrishtadyumna (son of Prishata)

पार्थनिभ्यःto/against the sons of Pritha (the Pandavas)

अवर्षामwe rained down / showered

सायकैःwith arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata)

Pārtha (Arjuna, as eponym for the Pāṇḍava side)

Pāṇḍava army

arrows (sāyaka)

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 leadership and expertise shape collective action in war: by placing a master like Droṇa at the forefront, the army’s force becomes organized and intensified. Ethically, it also reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between duty to one’s side and the destructive momentum of armed conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces, with Droṇa leading, are directing a heavy barrage of arrows against the Pāṇḍava troops, especially those led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, aiming to check or overwhelm their formation.