Mahabharata 7.18.23 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 18, Shloka 23

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १८: संशप्तकगणयुद्धे अर्जुनस्यास्त्रप्रयोगः

Drona Parva, Chapter 18: Arjuna’s astra-deployment against the Saṃśaptakas

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्निपतिते वीरे त्रस्तास्तस्य पदानुगा: । व्यद्रवन्त भयाद्‌ भीता यत्र दौर्योधनं बलम्‌

Transliteration

tasmin nipatite vīre trastās tasya padānugāḥ | vyadravanta bhayād bhītā yatra dauryodhanaṃ balam ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。その勇士が倒れると、従う兵らは恐怖に駆られて隊列を崩した。怯えきって、彼らはただちにドゥルヨーダナの主力が布陣する方へ逃げ去った。

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निपतिते: having fallen
• निपतिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वीरे: in/when the hero
• वीरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• त्रस्ताः: frightened
• त्रस्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रस्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पदानुगाः: followers (those who go after his footsteps)
• पदानुगाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदानुग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्यद्रवन्त: they ran away
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भीताः: afraid
• भीताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• दौर्योधनम्: Duryodhana's (force/side) / the Duryodhana-host
• दौर्योधनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौर्योधन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• the fallen hero/warrior (unnamed in this verse)
• followers/soldiers (padānugāḥ)
• Duryodhana’s army (balam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological reality that courage in war is often collective and leader-dependent: when a prominent warrior falls, followers may abandon resolve and seek refuge with a stronger formation. It implicitly contrasts fear-driven flight with the steadiness expected in kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that after a certain hero is struck down and lies fallen, the troops who had been following him become frightened and scatter. They run toward the sector where Duryodhana’s main army is positioned, seeking protection and regrouping.