Mahabharata 7.116.44 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 44

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

द्रोणो हि बलवान श्रेष्ठ: कृतास्त्रो युद्धदुर्मद: । पज्चालास्ते महेष्वासं प्रत्यविध्यन्‌ कथं रणे

Transliteration

droṇo hi balavān śreṣṭhaḥ kṛtāstro yuddha-durmadaḥ | pāñcālāste maheṣvāsaṃ pratyavidhyan kathaṃ raṇe ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂດຣະນະ ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວແຂງແກ່ງ—ເປັນຜູ້ເລີດລ້ຳ, ຝຶກຝົນອາວຸດຄົບຖ້ວນ, ແລະດຸຮ້າຍດ້ວຍຄວາມເມົາໃນສົງຄາມ. ແລ້ວພວກປານຈາລະ ຈະຕອບໂຕ ແລະຍິງກັບໃສ່ນັກທະນູຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ນັ້ນໃນກາງຮົບໄດ້ແນວໃດ?»

Word by Word

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• बलवान्: strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठः: best/excellent
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतास्त्रः: trained in weapons (one who has mastered weapons)
• कृतास्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतास्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युद्धदुर्मदः: fiercely arrogant in battle / battle-maddened
• युद्धदुर्मदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धदुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाञ्चालाः: the Panchalas
• पाञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महेष्वासम्: the great archer
• महेष्वासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रत्यविध्यन्: pierced/struck (in return)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Droṇa
• Sañjaya
• Pāñcālas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between reputation and reality in war: even a famed, fully trained warrior can be challenged when opponents act with resolve and coordination. Ethically, it invites reflection on how martial prowess and battle-fury (yuddha-durmada) can be met—and sometimes checked—by determined resistance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Droṇa as exceptionally powerful and battle-hardened, then poses a pointed question: despite Droṇa’s superiority, by what means did the Pāñcāla warriors manage to counterstrike and wound/strike him in the thick of battle?