Mahabharata 7.37.15 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तु घोरे संग्रामे वर्तमाने भयंकरे । दुःसहो नवभिर्बाणैरभिमन्युमविध्यत

Transliteration

tasmiṁstu ghore saṅgrāme vartamāne bhayaṅkare | duḥsaho navabhirbāṇairabhimanyumavidhyata ||

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—तस्मिंस्तु घोरे संग्रामे वर्तमाने भयङ्करे। दुःसहो नवभिर्बाणैरभिमन्युमविध्यत्॥

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• संग्रामे: battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वर्तमाने: while occurring/going on
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: शानच् (वर्तमानकाले), Atmanepada (middle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भयंकरे: fearful/terrifying
• भयंकरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयङ्कर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दुःसहः: Duhsaha (name)/the hard-to-bear one
• दुःसहः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःसह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: नवन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अभिमन्युम्: Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्युम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (Proper name)
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अविध्यत्: pierced/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Past, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duḥsaha
• Abhimanyu
• saṅgrāma (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how war’s momentum can eclipse restraint: even a single heroic fighter may be targeted repeatedly, raising questions about righteous conduct (dharma) amid fear and fury. It invites reflection on whether victory pursued through overwhelming, collective assault aligns with ethical warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the fierce battle, Duḥsaha shoots Abhimanyu with nine arrows. Sañjaya reports this as part of the escalating, many-against-one pressure placed upon Abhimanyu in the Drona Parva battle sequence.