Mahabharata 7.127.71 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 127, Shloka 71

दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः

Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva

Devanagari script

समरे शरसंवीता भारद्वाजेन मारिष | चेकितानके सारथिके मारे जानेपर वे घोड़े उनका रथ लेकर भाग चले। आर्य! द्रोणाचार्यने समरांगणमें उनके शरीरोंको बाणोंसे भर दिया था || ७० ई ।।

Transliteration

cekitānarathaṃ dṛṣṭvā hatāśvān hatasārathim | cedi-pāñcāla-sṛñjayān saṃgatān raṇamūrdhani || dṛṣṭvā tān sarvato droṇaḥ prādrāvayat mahāraṇe | śarair āpūrya gātrāṇi bhāradvājo mahāyaśāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya disse: Vendo o carro de Cekitāna—cujos cavalos e cocheiro haviam sido mortos—e lançando o olhar sobre os guerreiros reunidos dos Cedis, dos Pāñcālas e dos Sṛñjayas no campo de batalha, Droṇa, o ilustre filho de Bharadvāja, fê-los recuar por todos os lados naquele grande combate, enchendo-lhes os corpos de flechas. A cena expõe a sombria ética da guerra kṣatriya: domínio e determinação podem dispersar até hostes valentes, mas a vitória é comprada com feridas incessantes e temor.

Word by Word

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शर-संवीता: covered/filled with arrows
• शर-संवीता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर-संवीत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भारद्वाजेन: by Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)
• भारद्वाजेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मारिष: O noble one / sir
• मारिष: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चेकितान-रथम्: Cekitāna's chariot
• चेकितान-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेकितान-रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• हत-अश्वम्: with horses slain
• हत-अश्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत-अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हत-सारथिम्: with charioteer slain
• हत-सारथिम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत-सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Drona (Bhāradvāja)
• Cekitāna
• Cedi
• Panchala
• Srinjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• horses (aśva)
• charioteer (sārathi)
• arrows (śara)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya-dharma in war: tactical superiority and unwavering resolve can break an opposing force’s morale, but such success is inseparable from suffering inflicted on bodies and minds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Cekitāna’s chariot is seen disabled—its horses and charioteer killed. Droṇa then surveys the assembled Cedi, Pāñcāla, and Sṛñjaya warriors and, by showering them with arrows, drives them to flee in all directions.