Shloka 536

Devanagari script

द्रोणपुत्रं पुरस्कृत्य तच्छीघ्र॑ं संनिषुदय । “वीर! द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाको आगे करके एक-दूसरेके द्वारा सुरक्षित यह सेना तुमपर आक्रमण कर रही है। तुम शीघ्र ही इसका संहार कर डालो

Transliteration

droṇaputraṁ puraskṛtya tacchīghraṁ saṁniṣūdaya

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—द्रोणपुत्रम् अग्रे कृत्वा, परस्पररक्षितैः एषा सेना त्वामभ्युपैति; वीर, तां शीघ्रं संनिषूदय।

Word by Word

द्रोणपुत्रम्Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)

पुरस्कृत्यhaving put in front

तत्that (him/it)

शीघ्रम्quickly

संनिषुदयstrike down / destroy

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāman)

army (senā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of decisive action: when an enemy advances in a tightly protected formation under a powerful champion, a warrior is expected to respond swiftly and effectively. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma where delay can endanger one’s side and is treated as a lapse in duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a tactical situation: the opposing force advances with Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman at the front, the troops protecting each other as they attack. The addressed warrior is urged to quickly crush this oncoming, well-guarded army.