Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तथा सत्यधूृतिर्वीरो मदिराश्चश्न वीर्यवान्‌ सूर्यदत्तश्न विक्रान्तो निहतो द्रोणसायकै:,इसी प्रकार वीर सत्यधृति, पराक्रमी मदिराश्व और बल-विक्रमशाली सूर्यदत्त भी द्रोणाचार्यके बाणोंसे मारे गये हैं

Transliteration

tathā satyadhṛtir vīro madirāśvaś ca vīryavān | sūryadattaś ca vikrānto nihato droṇasāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Так же пали от стрел Дроны герой Сатьядхрити, доблестный Мадирашва и могучий, дерзновенный Сурьядатта. Рассказ подчёркивает мрачную беспристрастность битвы: даже прославленные воины, при всей храбрости и силе, падают перед высшим мастерством и судьбой на поле брани, напоминая о тяжёлой нравственной цене войны и хрупкости мирской власти.

Word by Word

तथाthus, likewise

सत्यधृतिःSatyadhriti (a warrior)

वीरःheroic, warrior

मदिराश्वःMadirashva (a warrior)

चand

अश्वःhorse

वीर्यवान्mighty, possessed of valor

सूर्यदत्तःSuryadatta (a warrior)

चand

विक्रान्तःvaliant, having advanced (bravely)

निहतःslain

द्रोणसायकैःby Drona's arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Satyadhṛti

Madirāśva

Sūryadatta

Droṇa

arrows (sāyaka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh truth of warfare: personal valor and reputation do not guarantee survival. It implicitly points to the ethical weight of battle—where even the brave are cut down—and invites reflection on the impermanence of power and the grave consequences of kṣatriya conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that three warriors—Satyadhṛti, Madirāśva, and Sūryadatta—have been killed, specifically by the arrows of Droṇa, continuing the battlefield account of notable deaths.