Mahabharata 7.37.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 3

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 37: Sañjaya’s Account of Abhimanyu’s Precision Disruption of a Chariot Contingent

Devanagari script

पुराभिमन्युर्लक्ष्यं न: पश्यतां हन्ति वीर्यवान्‌ । तमाद्रवत मा भैष्ट क्षिप्रं रक्षत कौरवम्‌

Transliteration

purābhimanyur lakṣyaṃ naḥ paśyatāṃ hanti vīryavān | tam ādravata mā bhaiṣṭa kṣipraṃ rakṣata kauravam ||

Translation

“O poderoso Abhimanyu abaterá, diante de nossos próprios olhos, o alvo marcado—o rei Duryodhana. Correi contra ele, não temais; protegei depressa o príncipe dos Kurus (Duryodhana).”

Word by Word

• पुरा: beforehand, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा
• Form: indeclinable (temporal adverb)

• अभिमन्युः: Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• लक्ष्यम्: the target
• लक्ष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्य
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, plural (enclitic)

• पश्यताम्: while (we) look on
• पश्यताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत्
• Form: present active participial base used as genitive plural (locative-genitive absolute sense): 'while (we) are seeing'

• हन्ति: kills / will slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: present, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• वीर्यवान्: valiant, powerful
• वीर्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• आद्रवत: run (towards), rush
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: imperative, parasmaipada, 2nd person, plural (with preverb आ-)

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: prohibitive particle

• भैष्ट: fear
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी
• Form: aorist/imperative (prohibitive with मा), parasmaipada, 2nd person, plural

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र
• Form: indeclinable (adverbial accusative)

• रक्षत: protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: imperative, parasmaipada, 2nd person, plural

• कौरवम्: the Kaurava (Duryodhana)
• कौरवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Duryodhana (implied by 'Kaurava' and the Hindi gloss)
• Kauravas (as the addressed group)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield leadership and morale: in crisis, commanders urge swift coordinated action and the overcoming of fear to protect a central figure. Ethically, it shows how loyalty to one’s side and the protection of a ruler become overriding duties in war, even amid escalating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Abhimanyu is about to strike down the Kauravas’ intended focal point—Duryodhana—right in front of them. He urges the Kaurava warriors to rush immediately, cast off fear, and protect their prince.