Mahabharata 7.135.1 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 135, Shloka 1

द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā

Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका ३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ४३ ६ “लोक हैं) त्रयस्त्रिशर्दाधिकशततमोब ध्याय: भीमसेन और कर्णका युद्ध

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | atyadbhutam ahaṁ manye bhīmasenasya vikramam | yat karṇaṁ yodhayām āsa samare laghuvikramam ||

Translation

Дхритараштра сказал: «Санджая, я почитаю доблесть Бхимасены поистине изумительной — ведь он вступил в битву на поле брани даже с Карной, прославленным стремительными и решительными подвигами мужества».

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अत्यद्भुतम्: most wonderful
• अत्यद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• मन्ये: consider / think
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Atmanepada

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

• विक्रमम्: valor / prowess
• विक्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यत्: that (the fact that)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• योधयामास: made (him) fight / fought with
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

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

• लघुविक्रमम्: swift in prowess / quick-acting
• लघुविक्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघुविक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Karṇa
• samara (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid a destructive war, the epic highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting formidable opponents without shrinking back. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s amazement also reveals a moral tension: he recognizes greatness in an enemy of his sons, showing how truth about valor can pierce partisan attachment, even if it does not yet transform his judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing the war report from Sañjaya, remarks that Bhīma’s prowess is extraordinary because Bhīma has taken on Karṇa in direct combat—Karṇa being renowned for rapid, forceful feats on the battlefield. This sets the tone for the ensuing account of the Bhīma–Karṇa encounter and its consequences.