Mahabharata 7.45.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 45, Shloka 3

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 45: Saubhadra–Lakṣmaṇa-saṃyoga and Kaurava Counter-Encirclement

Devanagari script

प्रविश्यैव तु राजेन्द्र क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्‍लकोपम: । सत्यश्रवसमादत्त व्याप्रो मृगमिवोल्बण:

Transliteration

praviśyaiva tu rājendra kṣatriyendrān lokopamaḥ | satyaśravasam ādatta vyāghro mṛgam ivolbaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Wahai raja, Abhimanyu—laksana Maut bagi para pahlawan terunggul—sebaik sahaja memasuki bala tentera, segera menyambar Satyāśravas, seperti harimau garang menerkam rusa.

Word by Word

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्: the lords/chiefs among kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रियेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• लोक-उपमः: world-like; comparable to (all) the world (i.e., universally formidable)
• लोक-उपमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यश्रवसम्: Satyashravas (proper name)
• सत्यश्रवसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यश्रवस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदत्त: seized/took hold of
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• व्याघ्रः: a tiger
• व्याघ्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृगम्: a deer/animal (prey)
• मृगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उल्बणः: fierce/violent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उल्बण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Abhimanyu
• Satyāśravas
• Yama (implied by lokopamaḥ / death-like)
• army/host (senā, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical terrain of kṣatriya-dharma in war: a warrior’s duty and prowess can manifest as swift, lethal action, and the imagery of Death and predator-prey stresses the inevitability and moral gravity of battlefield consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, upon entering the enemy formation, immediately overpowers and captures/strikes down the warrior Satyāśravas, compared to a fierce tiger pouncing on a deer.