Shloka 216

Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ

Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response

Devanagari script

किमु पाण्डुसुतान्‌ युद्धे हीनवीर्यपराक्रमान्‌ । “क्योंकि कर्ण समरांगणमें इन्द्रके सहित देवताओंको भी जीतनेमें समर्थ है। फिर, जो बल और पराक्रममें कर्णकी अपेक्षा निम्न श्रेणीके हैं, उन पाण्डवोंको युद्धमें पराजित करना उसके लिये कौन बड़ी बात है

Transliteration

kimu pāṇḍusutān yuddhe hīnavīryaparākramān |

Translation

ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ବଳ ଓ ପରାକ୍ରମରେ ହୀନ ପାଣ୍ଡୁସୁତମାନଙ୍କୁ ଜିତିବା ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କେଉଁ ବଡ଼ କୀର୍ତ୍ତି? କାରଣ କର୍ଣ୍ଣ ସମରାଙ୍ଗଣରେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରସହିତ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଜିତିବାକୁ ସମର୍ଥ; ତେଣୁ କର୍ଣ୍ଣଠାରୁ କମ୍ ବଳ-ପରାକ୍ରମ ଥିବା ପାଣ୍ଡବମାନଙ୍କୁ ପରାଜିତ କରିବା ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କ’ଣ ବଡ଼ କଥା?

Word by Word

• किमु: what indeed?/how much more?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + उ

• पाण्डु-सुतान्: the sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डु-सुतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• हीन-वीर्य-पराक्रमान्: inferior in strength and valor
• हीन-वीर्य-पराक्रमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीनवीर्यपराक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍu
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical nuance of warfare: defeating those deemed weaker is not automatically a glorious achievement. It implicitly questions how heroism should be measured—by mere victory, or by the worthiness of the contest and the righteousness (dharma) behind it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, comments on the prospect of defeating the Pāṇḍavas in battle, describing them as inferior in strength and prowess. The line functions as a rhetorical assessment of relative martial capability within the unfolding conflict.