Shloka 20

Devanagari script

व्याकुलीकृत्य त॑ द्रोणो बृहत्क्षत्र महारथम्‌ | अश्रांश्षतुर्भिन्यवधीच्चतुरो5स्य पतत्त्रिभि:

Transliteration

vyākulīkṛtya taṁ droṇo bṛhatkṣatra-mahāratham | aśrāṁś caturbhir nyavadhīc caturō 'sya patattribhiḥ ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਦ੍ਰੋਣ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਮਹਾਰਥੀ ਬ੍ਰਿਹਤਕ੍ਸ਼ਤ੍ਰ ਨੂੰ ਘਬਰਾਹਟ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ; ਫਿਰ ਆਪਣੇ ਚਾਰ ਤੀਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਚਾਰ ਤੀਰ ਕੱਟ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਅਤੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਚਾਰ ਪੰਖਾਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਤੀਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਚਾਰ ਤੀਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਛਿੰਨ-ਭਿੰਨ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ।

Word by Word

• व्याकुलीकृत्य: having agitated/confounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याकुली√कृ (व्याकुलीकृत)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बृहत्-क्षत्रम्: the great warrior (of mighty kshatra)
• बृहत्-क्षत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत्क्षत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-रथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महा-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अश्राम्: weapons/missiles
• अश्राम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्र (अश्राणि)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• न्यवधीत्: slew/killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वध्
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पतत्त्रिभिः: with arrows (lit. winged ones)
• पतत्त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतत्त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• Bṛhatkṣatra
• arrows (śara/patattri)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary competence in war can be deployed with ruthless efficiency as part of kṣatriya-duty, while also reminding the reader that such skill operates within a morally complex field where victory and death are intertwined with obligation and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa overwhelms the warrior Bṛhatkṣatra: he confounds him, neutralizes his missiles by matching them with his own, and then brings about his death through superior archery.