Mahabharata 7.118.17 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 118, Shloka 17

भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः

Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading

Devanagari script

सो$तिविद्धों बलवता तव पुत्रेण धन्विना

Transliteration

so 'tividdhoṃ balavatā tava putreṇa dhanvinā

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ତୁମ ପୁତ୍ର, ସେଇ ବଳବାନ ଧନୁର୍ଧର, ତାକୁ ମହାବଳରେ ଗଭୀରଭାବେ ବିଦ୍ଧ କଲା।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिविद्धः: pierced through / grievously wounded
• अतिविद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिविद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलवता: by the strong (one)
• बलवता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• पुत्रेण: by (your) son
• पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धन्विना: by the archer / bowman
• धन्विना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• तव पुत्र (your son—Duryodhana or another Kaurava prince, context-dependent)
• धन्वी (the archer/bowman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stark moral reality of war: skill and strength can inflict sudden, irreversible harm. It implicitly warns that reliance on sheer martial power, even when framed as duty, carries heavy ethical and human costs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior has been grievously pierced by a powerful archer—identified as the king’s son—indicating a decisive, forceful strike in the ongoing battle.