Mahabharata 7.37.5 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

द्रोणो द्रौणि: कृप: कर्ण: कृतवर्मा च सौबल: । बृहद्धलो मद्रराजो भूरिभ्भूरिश्रवा: शल:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

droṇo drauṇiḥ kṛpaḥ karṇaḥ kṛtavarmā ca saubalaḥ |

bṛhaddhalo madrarājo bhūribhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ ||

Translation

Sanjaya disse: Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā, filho de Droṇa, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Kṛtavarmā e Saubala (Śakuni), juntamente com Bṛhadbala, o rei de Madra Śalya, Bhūri, Bhūriśravas e Śala—esses guerreiros começaram a derramar sobre Abhimanyu uma feroz chuva de flechas, cobrindo-o com sua grande tempestade de projéteis.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'droṇaḥ': 'Droṇa (preceptor and commander)', 'drauṇiḥ': 'son of Droṇa

• Aśvatthāmā', 'kṛpaḥ': 'Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)', 'karṇaḥ': 'Karṇa', 'kṛtavarmā': 'Kṛtavarmā', 'saubalaḥ': 'son of Subala

• Śakuni', 'bṛhaddhalaḥ': 'Bṛhadbala (a king/warrior)', 'madrarājaḥ': 'king of Madra

• Śalya', 'bhūriḥ': 'Bhūri (a warrior named Bhūri)', 'bhūriśravāḥ': 'Bhūriśravas', 'śalaḥ': 'Śala (a warrior named Śala)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Karṇa
• Kṛtavarmā
• Śakuni (Saubala)
• Bṛhadbala
• Śalya (Madrarāja)
• Bhūri
• Bhūriśravas
• Śala
• Abhimanyu
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: collective force and tactical necessity can eclipse ideals of righteous combat. It invites reflection on dharma in battle—how power, seniority, and desperation can lead to actions that appear disproportionate against a lone opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that several leading Kaurava warriors—Droṇa and other prominent fighters—jointly attack Abhimanyu, unleashing a concentrated barrage of arrows that covers him, intensifying the crisis around his lone advance within the enemy formation.