Shloka 87

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

द्रोणे तु निहते वीरे रथव्याप्रे नरर्षभे । के वा मुखमनीकानामासन्‌ संजय भागश:,संजय! रथियोंमें सिंह नरश्रेष्ठ वीरवर द्रोणाचार्यके मारे जानेपर कौन-कौनसे वीर सेनाओंके मुख (अग्रभाग) की रक्षा करते रहे?

Transliteration

droṇe tu nihate vīre rathavyāpre nararṣabhe | ke vā mukham anīkānām āsan sañjaya bhāgaśaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Apabila Droṇa yang gagah—terunggul antara para pejuang berkereta, laksana banteng di antara manusia—telah terbunuh, wahai Sañjaya, siapakah dalam bahagian masing-masing yang berdiri di hadapan bala tentera dan melindungi barisan hadapan?”

Word by Word

• द्रोणे: in/when (regarding) Droṇa
• द्रोणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• निहते: when slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वीरे: in the hero (Droṇa)
• वीरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• रथव्याप्रे: in the chariot-tiger (great chariot-warrior)
• रथव्याप्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथव्याप्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नरर्षभे: in the bull among men (best of men)
• नरर्षभे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• के: who (which persons)
• के: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वा: or/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मुखम्: front/face (vanguard)
• मुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनीकानाम्: of the armies/divisions
• अनीकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संजय: O Sañjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भागशः: severally/part by part
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भागशस्

• संजय: O Sañjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• anīka (army divisions/vyūha units)
• mukha (vanguard/front line)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic and strategic concern: after the fall of a principal commander (Droṇa), the army’s moral and tactical stability depends on who assumes responsibility for protecting the front line. It underscores leadership as a duty in moments of collective peril.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating to Janamejaya, poses (to Sañjaya within the recounted dialogue) a question about the Kaurava forces: once Droṇa has been killed, which warriors, division by division, took position at the army’s forefront to guard and lead the battle-array.