Mahabharata 7.99.23 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 99, Shloka 23

अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्

Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नके घोड़ोंका रंग कबूतरके समान था और द्रोणाचार्यके घोड़े लाल थे। उस युद्धके मैदानमें परस्पर मिले हुए वे वायुके समान वेगशाली अश्व बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे ।।

Transliteration

pārāvata-savarṇās tu rakta-śoṇa-vimiśritāḥ | hayāḥ śuśubhire rājan meghā iva sa-vidyutaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, kuda-kuda itu—ada yang berwarna seperti merpati dan ada yang bercampur merah serta perang kemerah-merahan—bersinar di medan perang bagaikan awan yang disulami kilat. Dalam pertembungan Droṇa dengan Dhṛṣṭadyumna, bahkan pertemuan kuda-kuda pantas itu menjadi tanda yang nyata akan keagungan perang yang garang, tempat kepahlawanan dipamerkan di tengah harga yang berat daripada keganasan.

Word by Word

• पारावतसवर्णाः: pigeon-colored / dove-hued
• पारावतसवर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावत-सवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रक्तशोणविमिश्रिताः: mingled with red and tawny (colors)
• रक्तशोणविमिश्रिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त-शोण-विमिश्रित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शुशुभिरे: shone / looked splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

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

• मेघाः: clouds
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• सविद्युतः: with lightning
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-विद्युत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• horses (hayāḥ)
• clouds (meghāḥ)
• lightning (vidyut)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily offers battlefield imagery rather than direct moral instruction; implicitly, it shows how war can appear outwardly magnificent even while it serves a destructive purpose—inviting reflection on the difference between aesthetic splendour and ethical consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: the swift horses associated with the opposing warriors (Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Droṇa) mingle—dove-coloured with red/tawny—creating a striking visual compared to lightning-lit clouds.