Mahabharata 7.103.9 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 9

भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः

Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition

Devanagari script

अक्षोभयेतां सेनां तौ समुद्र मकराविव

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

akṣobhayetāṃ senāṃ tau samudra-makarāv iva |

Translation

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ មហាវីរបុរសទាំងពីរនោះ ដូចសត្វមហាសមុទ្រកូរឲ្យសមុទ្រកក្រើក បានធ្វើឲ្យទ័ពទាំងមូលចលាចល។ នៅពេលនោះ ទាហានរបស់អ្នក និងកូនប្រុសរបស់អ្នក ឃើញព្រះក្រឹෂ្ណ និងអរជុន ចូលទៅក្នុងវ្យូហសេនារបស់ទ្រូណាចារ្យ ហើយបានវិនិច្ឆ័យថា «អ្នកទាំងពីរនេះ មិនអាចលើកលែងឆ្លងកាត់ទ្រូណាបានទេ»។

Word by Word

• अक्षोभयेताम्: they two agitated
• अक्षोभयेताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षोभय् (caus. of क्षुभ्)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3rd, dual, परस्मैपद

• सेनाम्: the army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• समुद्र: the ocean
• समुद्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• मकरौ: two makaras (sea-monsters/crocodiles)
• मकरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• Kaurava soldiers
• sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (the Kauravas)
• Droṇa’s battle-formation (droṇa-vyūha)
• ocean (samudra)
• makaras (sea-monsters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward assessments in war—confidence in a commander’s formation and underestimation of opponents—can be shaken by extraordinary resolve and skill. It cautions against complacency and shows how perception in conflict often fails before determined action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna have entered Droṇa’s military array and are violently unsettling the Kaurava host, like sea-creatures churning the ocean. The Kauravas believe the two will not be able to break past Droṇa, setting up the tension between their expectation and the unfolding battle.