Shloka 486

Devanagari script

सोदर्याश्न यथामुख्यास्ते5रक्षन्‌ द्रोणमाहवे । एक ओरसे पाण्डवोंसहित पांचाल-सैनिक द्रोणाचार्यको मार रहे थे और दूसरी ओरसे दुर्योधन, कर्ण, सुबलपुत्र शकुनि तथा दुर्योधनके मुख्य-मुख्य भाई उस युद्धमें आचार्यकी रक्षा कर रहे थे

Transliteration

saudaryāś ca yathāmukhyās te 'rakṣan droṇam āhave |

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಆ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ದುರ್ಯೋಧನನ ಸಹೋದರರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖರು ದ್ರೋಣಾಚಾರ್ಯನನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ಪಾಂಡವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪಾಂಚಾಲಸೇನೆ ದ್ರೋಣಾಚಾರ್ಯನನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಲು ಒತ್ತಡ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿತ್ತು; ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಡೆ ದುರ್ಯೋಧನ, ಕರ್ಣ, ಸುಬಲಪುತ್ರ ಶಕುನಿ ಮತ್ತು ದುರ್ಯೋಧನನ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಸಹೋದರರು ಆಚಾರ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಕವಚವಾಗಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದರು।

Word by Word

सौदर्याःbrothers (lit. those of the same womb)

चand

यथाas, according to

मुख्याःchief, foremost

तेthey

अरक्षन्protected

द्रोणम्Drona

आहवेin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Pāṇḍavas

Pāñcālas (Pañcāla forces)

Duryodhana

Karṇa

Śakuni

Subala

Duryodhana’s brothers (Kaurava brothers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic complexity of war: even when a commander is viewed as the key obstacle by the enemy, his side considers it a duty of loyalty and kṣatriya responsibility to protect him. It frames battle not only as violence but as competing obligations—duty to defeat versus duty to defend one’s leader and kin.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Pāṇḍavas with the Pāñcāla troops are attempting to kill Droṇa, while on the other side Duryodhana, Karṇa, Śakuni (son of Subala), and Duryodhana’s leading brothers form a protective force around Droṇa in the midst of combat.