Mahabharata 7.187.186 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 187, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

सुरैरवध्या: संग्रामे तेन वीरेण निर्जिता: । “देवशत्रु निवातकवच नामक दानव, जिन्हें संग्राममें देवता भी नहीं मार सकते थे, उसी वीर अर्जुनसे पराजित हुए हैं

Transliteration

surair avadhyāḥ saṅgrāme tena vīreṇa nirjitāḥ |

Translation

போரில் தேவர்களாலும் கொல்ல இயலாதவர்கள் எனக் கருதப்பட்ட பகைவர்களும், அந்த வீரனால் வெல்லப்பட்டனர்.

Word by Word

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अवध्याः: un-slayable
• अवध्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वीरेण: by the hero
• वीरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• निर्जिताः: defeated / conquered
• निर्जिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्जि (नि + जि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• Devas (gods)
• Nivātakavaca (Dānava, implied by the contextual gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that apparent invincibility is not absolute: disciplined valor aligned with dharma can overcome even those considered beyond the reach of ordinary power, reinforcing the ethical idea that rightful strength can prevail over formidable wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a mighty warrior—understood here as Arjuna—has defeated opponents described as ‘unkillable even by the gods,’ evoking Arjuna’s famed victory over the Nivātakavaca dānavas and emphasizing his exceptional battlefield capability.