Mahabharata 7.159.42 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 159, Shloka 42

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

ततः सैनिकमुख्यास्ते प्रशशंसुर्नरर्षभौ । द्रोणपार्थों महेष्वासौ सर्वयुद्धविशारदौ

Transliteration

tataḥ sainikamukhyās te praśaśaṃsur nararṣabhau | droṇapārthau maheṣvāsau sarvayuddhaviśāradau ||

Translation

तेव्हा सैन्याचे प्रमुख योद्धे नरश्रेष्ठ वृषभ-तुल्य त्या दोन महाधनुर्धर—द्रोणाचार्य आणि पार्थ (अर्जुन)—यांची स्तुती करू लागले; ते दोघेही सर्व प्रकारच्या युद्धकलेत पारंगत होते.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• सैनिकमुख्याः: the chief soldiers
• सैनिकमुख्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिकमुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रशशंसुः: praised
• प्रशशंसुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• नरर्षभौ: the two bulls among men (two best of men)
• नरर्षभौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरर्षभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• द्रोणपार्थौ: Drona and Partha (Arjuna)
• द्रोणपार्थौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणपार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• महेष्वासौ: two great bowmen
• महेष्वासौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सर्वयुद्धविशारदौ: skilled in every kind of warfare
• सर्वयुद्धविशारदौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वयुद्धविशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• army leaders (sainika-mukhyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the cultural-ethical value placed on disciplined mastery and excellence in one’s duty: in war, leaders reinforce morale by honoring those who embody complete training, steadiness, and capability—qualities expected of protectors and commanders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that prominent military leaders begin praising two outstanding warriors—Droṇa and Pārtha (Arjuna)—describing them as great archers and experts in every form of combat, thereby elevating their status and strengthening the army’s confidence.