Shloka 36

द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa

Devanagari script

शोणिताक्तान्‌ हयारोहान्‌ गृहीतप्रासतोमरान्‌

Transliteration

śoṇitāktān hayārohān gṛhītaprāsatomarān

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ସେ ରକ୍ତରେ ଲେପିତ ହୟାରୋହମାନଙ୍କୁ ଦେଖିଲା, ଯାହାଙ୍କ ହାତରେ ପ୍ରାସ ଓ ତୋମର ଥିଲା। ଆହତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେମାନେ ଶସ୍ତ୍ରଧାରୀ ଓ ଦୃଢ଼—ଏହା ଯୁଦ୍ଧର ତତ୍କ୍ଷଣାତ୍ ଘୋରତା ଓ ହିଂସାର ଧର୍ମମୂଲ୍ୟକୁ ଦର୍ଶାଏ।

Word by Word

• शोणिताक्तान्: smeared with blood
• शोणिताक्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोणित + आक्त (√अञ्ज्/अक्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हयारोहान्: horse-riders
• हयारोहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + आरोह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गृहीतप्रासतोमरान्: holding spears and javelins
• गृहीतप्रासतोमरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (√ग्रह्) + प्रास + तोमर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• horsemen
• horses
• blood
• spears (prāsa)
• javelins (tomara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: even bloodied and wounded, warriors persist with weapons in hand. Ethically, it points to the endurance demanded by kṣatriya warfare while simultaneously exposing the human cost and moral weight of battlefield violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes a scene of mounted fighters—blood-smeared horsemen—still gripping spears and javelins, indicating ongoing, close and brutal combat.