Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.39.19 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 19

अभिमन्युना दुःशासनस्य ताडनम्

Abhimanyu’s Rebuke and Wounding of Duḥśāsana; Karṇa’s Counter-volley

Devanagari script

संरक्ष्यमाणो द्रोणेन मन्यते वीर्यमात्मन: । आत्मसम्भावितो मूढस्तं प्रमथ्नीत मा चिरम्‌

Transliteration

saṃrakṣyamāṇo droṇena manyate vīryam ātmanaḥ | ātmasambhāvito mūḍhas taṃ pramathnīta mā ciram ||

Translation

ദ്രോണാചാര്യന്റെ സംരക്ഷണത്തിൽ ആയതിനാൽ അവൻ തന്റെ വീര്യം പരമമെന്ന് കരുതുന്നു. ആത്മഗർവത്തിൽ മയങ്ങിയ ആ മൂഢൻ അഭിമന്യുവിനെ—നിങ്ങൾ എല്ലാവരും ചേർന്ന് താമസമില്ലാതെ ഉടൻ തകർത്തുകളയൂ.

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Word by Word

• संरक्ष्यमाणः: being protected
• संरक्ष्यमाणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (वर्तमान कर्मणि/मध्य-भावे), Passive (कर्मणि)

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

• मन्यते: thinks/considers
• मन्यते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Ātmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• वीर्यम्: valor/strength
• वीर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of himself
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आत्मसम्भावितः: self-conceited/self-admiring
• आत्मसम्भावितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्म-सम्भावित (प्रातिपदिक; सम्भावित = कृदन्त from सम्-भू/सम्-भाव् in causative sense 'to esteem')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूढः: deluded/foolish
• मूढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from मुह्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रमथ्नीत: crush/strike down
• प्रमथ्नीत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मथ् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Command, Parasmaipada, 2nd, Plural

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध-अव्यय)

• चिरम्: for long/long (delay)
• चिरम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Abhimanyu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how perceived protection can breed overconfidence, and how opponents may weaponize that perception to justify swift, collective force. Ethically, it exposes the rhetoric of war: labeling the other as ‘deluded’ and ‘self-conceited’ becomes a pretext for abandoning restraint and urging immediate elimination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a Kaurava-side assessment of Abhimanyu: since Droṇa is guarding him, Abhimanyu is thought to be acting with heightened confidence. The speaker urges the warriors to unite and quickly overpower him, emphasizing urgency and coordinated attack.