Mahabharata 7.13.9 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 9

Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)

Devanagari script

त्वां निगृह्माहवे राज्यं धार्तराष्ट्रोड्यमिच्छति

Transliteration

tvāṃ nigṛhya āhave rājyaṃ dhārtarāṣṭro ’dyam icchati, āptair āśu parijñātaṃ bhāradvāja-cikīrṣitam.

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—രാജാവേ! ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രപുത്രൻ ദുര്യോധനൻ യുദ്ധമദ്ധ്യേ യുധിഷ്ഠിരനെ പിടികൂടി നിങ്ങളുടെ രാജ്യം കവർന്നെടുക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു. ഭാരദ്വാജപുത്രൻ ദ്രോണൻ എന്ത് ചെയ്യാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നുവെന്ന് വിശ്വസ്ത വിവരദാതാക്കളിലൂടെ വേഗത്തിലും കൃത്യതയിലും അറിയപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• निगृह्य: having seized/controlled
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ग्रह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), —, —, —

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom/sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्यम्: effort/enterprise
• उद्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छति: desires/wishes
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular

• आप्तैः: by trusted (persons)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• परिज्ञातम्: fully ascertained/known
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भारद्वाज: O Bhāradvāja (Drona)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चिकीर्षितम्: intended act/what is wished to be done
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिकीर्षित
• Form: क्त (from desiderative stem of √कृ), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Duryodhana
• Yudhishthira
• Drona (Bharadvaja-putra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a dharmic cause, protection of righteous leadership requires alertness, timely information, and prudent counter-strategy; moral intent alone is insufficient without vigilance against adharma-driven tactics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that Duryodhana aims to win the kingdom by capturing Yudhishthira during battle, and that Drona’s intended maneuver has been quickly learned through trusted informants, enabling the Pandava side to respond.