Shloka 25
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
Devanagari script
ततो दुर्योधन: कृष्णौ नवभिर्नवशभि: शरै:
Transliteration
tato duryodhanaḥ kṛṣṇau navabhir navaśabhiḥ śaraiḥ
Translation
ततो दुर्योधनः कृष्णौ नवभिर्नवभिः शरैः ।
Word by Word
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
FormAvyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')
दुर्योधनःDuryodhana
दुर्योधनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्योधन
FormMasculine, nominative, singular
कृष्णौthe two Krishnas (Krishna and Arjuna)
कृष्णौ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण
FormMasculine, accusative, dual
नवभिःwith nine
नवभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootनव
FormMasculine/Neuter, instrumental, plural (numeral used adjectivally)
नवशभिःninefold (in sets of nine)
नवशभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootनवश
FormMasculine/Neuter, instrumental, plural (distributive: 'ninefold/in groups of nine')
शरैःwith arrows
शरैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, instrumental, plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaD
DuryodhanaT
the two Kṛṣṇas (kṛṣṇau)A
arrows (śara)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
The verse highlights how, in war, determination and hostility can override reverence and restraint; it invites reflection on the ethical cost of treating even honored figures merely as opponents, illustrating the moral erosion that prolonged conflict can produce.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana shoots nine arrows at “the two Kṛṣṇas” (kṛṣṇau), indicating he targets two individuals bearing the name Kṛṣṇa; the line functions as a brief battlefield action report within the larger Drona Parva combat sequence.