Shloka 17

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

तस्य कार्ष्णायसं वर्म हेमचित्र॑ं महर्द्धिमत्‌

Transliteration

tasya kārṣṇāyasaṁ varma hemacitraṁ maharddhimat

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಅವನ ಕವಚವು ಕಪ್ಪು ಕಬ್ಬಿಣದಿಂದ ನಿರ್ಮಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಬಂಗಾರದ ಜಡಿತದಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು; ಅದು ಮಹಾ ವೈಭವದಿಂದ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು।

Word by Word

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

• कार्ष्णायसम्: made of black iron
• कार्ष्णायसम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्ष्णायस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वर्म: armor, cuirass
• वर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हेमचित्रम्: gold-adorned, variegated with gold
• हेमचित्रम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेमचित्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महर्द्धिमत्: very splendid, of great magnificence
• महर्द्धिमत्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महर्द्धिमत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• armor (varma)
• black iron (kārṣṇāyasa)
• gold ornamentation (hema)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) is supported by preparedness and protection, while also hinting at the ethical tension of war: outward magnificence and power do not by themselves confer righteousness, but they shape the conditions in which dharma must be upheld.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior’s armor—dark iron, richly decorated with gold—emphasizing its strength and grandeur as part of the battlefield portrayal in Droṇa Parva.