Mahabharata 7.32.576 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 576

Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam

Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32

Devanagari script

रथशक्ती: समुत्क्षिप्प भृशं सिंहा इवानदन्‌ । अपने धनुष कट जानेपर विषहीन भुजंगमोंके समान उन शूरवीरोंने रथ-शक्तियोंको ऊपर उठाकर सिंहोंके समान भयंकर गर्जना की

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | rathaśaktīḥ samutkṣipya bhṛśaṃ siṃhā ivānadān |

Translation

சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—அவர்களின் வில்ல்கள் வெட்டப்பட்டபோது, அந்த வீரர்கள் விஷமற்ற பாம்புகள் போல ரத-சக்திகளை உயர்த்தி, சிங்கங்களைப் போல் கடுமையாக முழங்கினர்.

Word by Word

• रथशक्तीः: chariot-spears (shaktis kept on chariots)
• रथशक्तीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथशक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• समुत्क्षिप्य: having lifted up
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-क्षिप्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• भृशम्: exceedingly, greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम्

• सिंहाः: lions
• सिंहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अनदन्: they roared
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• ratha (chariot)
• rathaśakti (chariot-javelin/spear)
• siṃha (lion)
• bhujanga (serpent) (simile, implied by the Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under adversity: when a primary support (the bow) is lost, a warrior adapts without surrendering courage. In the Mahābhārata’s war-ethic, this reflects kṣatriya resolve—continuing one’s duty in battle by taking up an available means, while the lion-roar symbolizes morale and intimidation as strategic and psychological force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment in the fighting where certain warriors have had their bows cut. Instead of retreating, they seize ratha-śaktis (javelins used in chariot combat), raise them aloft, and roar like lions—signaling readiness to strike again despite the loss of their usual weapon.