Mahabharata 7.49.32 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 49, Shloka 32

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall

Devanagari script

तं॑ दृष्टवा पतितं भूमौ चन्द्रार्कसदृशद्युतिम्‌ तावकानां परा प्रीति: पाण्डूनां चाभवद्‌ व्यथा

Transliteration

taṁ dṛṣṭvā patitaṁ bhūmau candrārka-sadṛśa-dyutim | tāvakānāṁ parā prītiḥ pāṇḍūnāṁ cābhavad vyathā ||

Translation

ಚಂದ್ರ-ಸೂರ್ಯ ಸಮಾನ ಕಾಂತಿಯುಳ್ಳ ಅಭಿಮನ್ಯು ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿದ್ದಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪಾಳಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮಹಾ ಹರ್ಷ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು; ಪಾಂಡವರ ಅಂತರಾತ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ತೀವ್ರ ವ್ಯಥೆ ಎದ್ದಿತು.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• पतितम्: fallen
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• चन्द्रार्कसदृशद्युतिम्: having radiance like the moon and sun
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क + सदृश + द्युति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तावकानाम्: of your people (Kauravas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परा: great, supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीतिः: joy, delight
• प्रीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डूनाम्: of the Pandavas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभवत्: arose, happened, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• व्यथा: pain, anguish
• व्यथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kauravas (tāvakāḥ)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Abhimanyu
• Earth (bhūmi)
• Moon (candra)
• Sun (arka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tragedy of war: the same event—an illustrious warrior’s fall—produces opposite emotions in opposing camps. It invites reflection on how enmity can eclipse reverence for virtue and how victory can be morally complicated when it rests on another’s suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu lies fallen on the battlefield. The Kaurava side feels intense joy at his defeat, while the Pāṇḍavas experience deep inner pain and distress on seeing their heroic young warrior brought down.