Mahabharata 7.159.44 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 159, Shloka 44

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

ते हन्यमाना दोणेन पज्चाला: प्राद्रवन्‌ भयात्‌ । पश्यतो भीमसेनस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मन:

Transliteration

te hanyamānā droṇena pañcālāḥ prādravan bhayāt | paśyato bhīmasenasya pārthasya ca mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Abatidos por Droṇa, os Pāñcālas fugiram de medo—e isso aconteceu diante dos próprios olhos de Bhīmasena e do nobre Pārtha (Arjuna).

Word by Word

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हन्यमानाः: being slain/struck
• हन्यमानाः: Karta
• Type: Participle
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हन्यमान (present passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Passive, Present (simultaneous)

• द्रोणेन: by Droṇa
• द्रोणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पाञ्चालाः: the Pāñcālas
• पाञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राद्रवन्: ran away / fled
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + द्रु (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भयात्: from fear / out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पश्यतः: while (he) was watching; of (one) watching
• पश्यतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Participle
• Root: पश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (present active participle)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular, Active, Present

• भीमसेनस्य: of Bhīmasena
• भीमसेनस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पार्थस्य: of Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• महात्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• Pāñcālas
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear can overtake even seasoned warriors when faced with a superior force, and how battlefield conduct tests steadiness (dhairya) and duty (kṣatriya-dharma). It implicitly contrasts the ideal of resolute courage with the human reality of panic under extreme pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa is striking down the Pāñcāla forces so effectively that they break formation and flee. This rout occurs in full view of Bhīma and Arjuna, emphasizing both Droṇa’s dominance at this moment and the crisis of morale among the Pāṇḍava-aligned Pāñcālas.