Shloka 41

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

पदातिहयसंघानां प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च | द्रोणेनैकेन नाराचैर्निर्भिन्नानि निशामुखे,उस प्रदोषकालमें अकेले द्रोणाचार्यने अपने नाराचोंद्वारा एक हजार हाथी, दस हजार रथ तथा लाखों-करोड़ों पैदल एवं घुड़सवार नष्ट कर दिये

Transliteration

padātihayasaṅghānāṁ prayutāny arbudāni ca | droṇenaikena nārācair nirbhinnāni niśāmukhe ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ເມື່ອຄືນກຳລັງເຂົ້າມາ ດໂຣນະພຽງຜູ້ດຽວ ດ້ວຍລູກສອນນາຣາຈະ ໄດ້ທະລຸທຳລາຍຝູງທະຫານລາບແລະທະຫານມ້າອັນມະຫາສານ—ນັບແຕ່ຫຼາຍໝື່ນ ຫາກະທັ້ງເຖິງກະໂຣ—ແລະຍັງຟັນລົງຊ້າງໜຶ່ງພັນ ກັບລົດຮົບໜຶ່ງໝື່ນ. ຂໍ້ຄຳນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄວາມບໍ່ສົມດຸນອັນນ່າຢ້ານຂອງອຳນາດໃນສະໜາມຮົບ ແລະນ້ຳໜັກທາງທຳຂອງຝີມືການຮົບ ເມື່ອມັນກາຍເປັນການຂ້າຟັນລ້ວນໆ ບໍ່ແມ່ນການຕໍ່ສູ້ທີ່ຖືກນຳດ້ວຍທັມມະ.

Word by Word

• पदाति: of foot-soldiers
• पदाति: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हय: of horses (cavalry)
• हय: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• संघानाम्: of multitudes/hosts
• संघानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रयुतानि: ten-thousands (units of 10,000)
• प्रयुतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अर्बुदानि: hundred-millions/crores (arbuda-units)
• अर्बुदानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• द्रोणेन: by Droṇa
• द्रोणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एकेन: alone/by one (single-handedly)
• एकेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• नाराचैः: with iron arrows (nārācas)
• नाराचैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निर्भिन्नानि: pierced/cleft/destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्भिद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त), Passive (participial)

• निशामुखे: at the beginning of night (at dusk)
• निशामुखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशामुख
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• nārāca (arrows)
• padāti (infantry)
• haya (cavalry)
• elephants
• chariots
• niśāmukha (dusk/nightfall)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary martial power can overwhelm the norms of balanced combat; it invites reflection on dharma in war—prowess is admirable, yet mass destruction at dusk evokes the ethical burden and the tragic momentum of Kurukṣetra.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that at dusk Droṇa, fighting alone with nārāca arrows, devastates large formations of infantry and cavalry and destroys huge numbers of elephants and chariots, emphasizing the scale of carnage and Droṇa’s battlefield dominance.