Shloka 44

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

द्रोणो हि बलवान श्रेष्ठ: कृतास्त्रो युद्धदुर्मद: । पज्चालास्ते महेष्वासं प्रत्यविध्यन्‌ कथं रणे

Transliteration

droṇo hi balavān śreṣṭhaḥ kṛtāstro yuddha-durmadaḥ | pāñcālāste maheṣvāsaṃ pratyavidhyan kathaṃ raṇe ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਦ੍ਰੋਣ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਬਲਵਾਨ, ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ, ਅਸਤ੍ਰ-ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੂਰਨ ਨਿਪੁਣ ਅਤੇ ਯੁੱਧ-ਮਦ ਨਾਲ ਉਗਰ ਹੈ; ਫਿਰ ਰਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾਂਚਾਲਾਂ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਮਹਾਧਨੁਰਧਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਘਾਤ ਕੀਤਾ?

Word by Word

द्रोणःDrona

हिindeed/for

बलवान्strong

श्रेष्ठःbest/excellent

कृतास्त्रःtrained in weapons (one who has mastered weapons)

युद्धदुर्मदःfiercely arrogant in battle / battle-maddened

पाञ्चालाःthe Panchalas

तेthey/those

महेष्वासम्the great archer

प्रत्यविध्यन्pierced/struck (in return)

कथम्how

रणेin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Droṇa

Sañjaya

Pāñcālas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between reputation and reality in war: even a famed, fully trained warrior can be challenged when opponents act with resolve and coordination. Ethically, it invites reflection on how martial prowess and battle-fury (yuddha-durmada) can be met—and sometimes checked—by determined resistance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Droṇa as exceptionally powerful and battle-hardened, then poses a pointed question: despite Droṇa’s superiority, by what means did the Pāñcāla warriors manage to counterstrike and wound/strike him in the thick of battle?