Mahabharata 7.127.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 127, Shloka 4

दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः

Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva

Devanagari script

वरान्‌ वरान्‌ हि योधानां विचिन्वन्निव भारत । आक्रीडत रणे राजन्‌ भारद्वाज: प्रतापवान्‌

Transliteration

varān varān hi yodhānāṁ vicinvann iva bhārata | ākrīḍata raṇe rājan bhāradvājaḥ pratāpavān ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: Wahai Bhārata, dalam pertempuran itu Bhāradvāja (Drona) yang gagah seolah-olah sedang memilih satu demi satu para pahlawan terunggul; dan, wahai Raja, dia bertempur seakan-akan medan perang hanyalah gelanggang permainan.

Word by Word

• वरान्: excellent (ones)
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वरान्: excellent (ones) (repeated for emphasis)
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• योधानाम्: of warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• विचिन्वन्: selecting, choosing
• विचिन्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चि (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आक्रीडत: played, sported
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भारद्वाजः: Bhāradvāja (Drona)
• भारद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata, Rājan)
• Droṇācārya (Bhāradvāja)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary martial power can make war appear like a game to the powerful, yet that very ease intensifies the ethical gravity of killing; it invites reflection on responsibility (dharma) when strength turns lethal action into ‘play’.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Droṇa on the battlefield: he appears to single out the foremost opposing warriors one by one and engage them effortlessly, as if sportingly, emphasizing his dominance during this phase of the war.