Mahabharata 7.21.24 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 24

द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping

Devanagari script

ततो युधिष्टिरं प्रेप्सुराचार्य: शत्रुपूगहा । व्यधमत्‌ तान्यनीकानि तूलराशिमिवानल:

Transliteration

tato yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prepsur ācāryaḥ śatrupūgahā | vyadhamat tāny anīkāni tūlarāśim ivānalaḥ ||

Translation

ତେବେ ଶତ୍ରୁସମୂହ-ନାଶକ ଆଚାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଦ୍ରୋଣ ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିରଙ୍କୁ ଧରିବାକୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା କରି, ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ବ୍ୟୂହକୁ ଅଗ୍ନି ଯେପରି କପାସର ଢେରକୁ ଦହିଦିଏ, ସେପରି ଧ୍ୱଂସ କରିଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira (as object)
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रेप्सुः: wishing to obtain/capture
• प्रेप्सुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (आप्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आचार्यः: the teacher (Droṇa)
• आचार्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शत्रुपूगहा: destroyer of masses of enemies
• शत्रुपूगहा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रु-पूग-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यधमत्: he blew/struck down; he routed (lit. blew)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्मा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions (troops)
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तूलराशिम्: a heap of cotton
• तूलराशिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूल-राशि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अनलः: fire
• अनलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• anīkāni (battle-formations/army divisions)
• anala (fire)
• tūlarāśi (heap of cotton)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral strain of warfare: when a commander fixates on a strategic goal (capturing Yudhiṣṭhira), the means can become massively destructive. The cotton-and-fire simile emphasizes how quickly and indiscriminately violence can spread once unleashed, prompting reflection on proportionality and responsibility even amid duty-bound combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa advances with the intent to seize Yudhiṣṭhira. To reach him, he breaks through and annihilates the intervening troop-formations, overwhelming them with the speed and totality likened to fire burning a pile of cotton.