Mahabharata 7.113.243 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 113, Shloka 243

Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)

Devanagari script

उपलभ्य रणे क्रीडेदू यथा शकुनिना शिशु: । 'ट्रोणाचार्य अभेद्य कवचसे सुरक्षित हैं। वे शीघ्रतापूर्वक हाथ चलानेके कारण रणक्षेत्रमें अपने विपक्षीको पाकर उसी प्रकार क्रीड़ा करते हैं

Transliteration

upālabhya raṇe krīḍed yathā śakunīnā śiśuḥ | droṇācāryo 'bhedya-kavacena surakṣitaḥ śīghratāpūrvakaṃ hastaṃ calayitvā raṇakṣetre svavipakṣaṃ prāpya tathā krīḍati yathā bālakaḥ pakṣiṇā saha krīḍati ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Защищённый непробиваемыми доспехами, Дроначарья — стремительный рукой — встретив противника на поле брани, играет с ним, словно забавляясь, как малое дитя играет с птицей.

Word by Word

• उपलभ्य: having found/obtained
• उपलभ्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-लभ्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• क्रीडेत्: would play/sport
• क्रीडेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शकुनिना: with a bird
• शकुनिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शिशुः: a child
• शिशुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• kavaca (armour)
• raṇa/raṇakṣetra (battle/battlefield)
• śakuni/pakṣi (bird)
• śiśu/bālaka (child)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming protection and skill can turn lethal combat into ‘sport’ for the powerful, implicitly questioning the ethics of treating war lightly when it entails real suffering and death for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa, shielded by seemingly impenetrable armour and striking with great speed, engages enemies on the battlefield with effortless dominance—likened to a child playing with a bird.