Mahabharata 7.103.20 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 20

भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः

Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition

Devanagari script

व्याप्रसिंहणजाकीर्णानतिक्रम्य च पर्वतान्‌ । वणिजाविव दृश्येतां हीनमृत्यू जरातिगौ

Transliteration

vyāghra-siṁha-gajākīrṇān atikramya ca parvatān | vaṇijāv iva dṛśyetāṁ hīna-mṛtyū jarātigau ||

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。虎・獅子・象の群れに満ちた山のごとき陣列を越えたのち、クリシュナとアルジュナは、猛獣ひしめく危険な山々を越えて無事に姿を現し、満ち足りた二人の商人のように見えた。死と老いに触れられぬその二人もまた、あの軍勢を乗り越えて、安らかな満足をたたえていた。

Word by Word

• व्याघ्रसिंहगजाकीर्णान्: filled with tigers, lions, and elephants
• व्याघ्रसिंहगजाकीर्णान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याघ्र-सिंह-गज-आकीर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अतिक्रम्य: having crossed/overstepped
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

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

• पर्वतान्: mountains
• पर्वतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वणिजौ: two merchants
• वणिजौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• दृश्येताम्: would appear / would be seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: लिङ् (optative), potential/optative, 3rd, Dual, Ātmanepada, Passive (impersonal/passive sense: 'would be seen')

• हीनमृत्यू: devoid of death
• हीनमृत्यू: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन-मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• जरातिगौ: having gone beyond old age
• जरातिगौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा-अतिग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• army (senā)
• mountains (parvatāḥ)
• tigers
• lions
• elephants
• merchants (vaṇijau)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights fearless steadiness grounded in divine support: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna move through overwhelming danger as if beyond ordinary mortality and decay, suggesting that right-aligned purpose (dharma) and divine guidance can make even vast obstacles seem surmountable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna advancing through dense, formidable enemy formations likened to mountains full of wild beasts; after crossing them, they appear calm and satisfied, like merchants who have safely passed a dangerous mountain route.