Shloka 13

Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)

Devanagari script

के<रक्षन्‌ दक्षिणं चक्रं के च द्रोणस्य सव्यत:,कौन-कौन-से योद्धा द्रोणाचार्यके रथके दाहिने पहियेकी रक्षा करते थे और कौन-कौन- से बायें पहियेकी? कौन-कौन-से वीर वीरोंका वध करनेवाले द्रोणाचार्यके पृष्ठभागके रक्षक थे और रणमें शत्रुसैनिकोंका संहार करनेवाले कौन-कौन-से योद्धा आचार्यके आगे-आगे चलते थे?

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ke rakṣan dakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ ke ca droṇasya savyataḥ | ke ke vīrā vīra-hantāro droṇasya pṛṣṭha-rakṣiṇaḥ | ke ca śatru-gaṇaṃ hatvā purastād ācāryam anvayuḥ ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「ドローナの戦車の右輪を守ったのは誰か、左輪を護ったのは誰か。英雄を屠る英雄たちのうち、ドローナの戦車の後方を固めたのは誰か。さらに、戦場で敵の隊列を斬り伏せたのち、師の前を進み、その先陣となった武者たちは誰であったか。」

Word by Word

• के: who (which persons)
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रक्षन्: protecting
• रक्षन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दक्षिणम्: right (side)
• दक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रम्: wheel
• चक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• के: who
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• द्रोणस्य: of Droṇa
• द्रोणस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सव्यतः: on the left side
• सव्यतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सव्य
• Form: Ablative used adverbially

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• chariot wheel (cakra)
• right side (dakṣiṇa)
• left side (savya)
• rear-guard (pṛṣṭha-rakṣiṇaḥ)
• vanguard/front (purastāt)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma as disciplined protection of a commander: assigning guards to vulnerable points (wheels/flanks), maintaining a rear-guard, and placing a vanguard to clear enemy ranks—showing that valor is inseparable from coordinated responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes and inquires about the Kaurava battle arrangement around Droṇa: who protected the right and left sides of his chariot, who guarded his rear, and who advanced ahead of him as the forward screen while striking down enemy troops.