Shloka 9

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय ९०: हार्दिक्यस्य पराक्रमः

Kṛtavarmā’s Stand against the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

ततो रथसहस्रेण द्विरदानां शतेन च । त्रिभिरश्वसहसौैश्ष पदातीनां शतै: शतै:,तदनन्तर एक हजार रथी, सौ हाथीसवार, तीन हजार घुड़सवार और दस हजार पैदल सैनिकोंके साथ आकर अर्जुनसे डेढ़ हजार धनुषकी दूरीपर स्थित हो समस्त कौरव सैनिकोंके आगे होकर आपके पुत्र दुर्मर्षणने इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

tato rathasahasreṇa dviradānāṁ śatena ca | tribhir aśvasahasraiś ca padātīnāṁ śataiḥ śataiḥ ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。ついで、千の戦車、百の戦象、三千の騎兵、そして幾百幾千の歩兵を従え、ドゥルマルシャナはカウラヴァ軍の先頭に身を置き、アルジュナから測り定めた距離に陣して、次のように語った。この場面は、武の力が意図して配列され誇示されることを示す。だがその道義の重みは、奉ずる目的と、用いる際の節制とにかかっている。

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

रथसहस्रेणwith a thousand chariots

द्विरदानाम्of elephants

शतेनwith a hundred

चand

त्रिभिःwith three

अश्वसहस्रैःwith thousands of horses (i.e., three thousand horsemen)

पदातीनाम्of foot-soldiers

शतैःwith hundreds

शतैःwith hundreds (repeated: 'hundreds upon hundreds')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Durmarṣaṇa

Arjuna

Kauravas

chariots (ratha)

elephants (dvirada)

horses/cavalry (aśva)

foot-soldiers/infantry (padāti)

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 that sheer military strength and impressive formations are morally neutral; their ethical value depends on intention, rightful cause (dharma), and disciplined conduct. It implicitly contrasts outward power with inner righteousness and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Durmarṣaṇa advances with a sizable combined force—chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry—taking the lead before the Kaurava troops and positioning himself at a set distance from Arjuna, preparing to address him.