Mahabharata 7.105.9 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 105, Shloka 9

Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana

Devanagari script

विस्मयो मे महान्‌ पार्थ तव दृष्टवा शरानिमान्‌ | व्यर्थान्‌ निपतितान्‌ संख्ये दुर्योधनरथं प्रति

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vismayo me mahān pārtha tava dṛṣṭvā śarān imān | vyarthān nipatitān saṅkhye duryodhana-rathaṃ prati |

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—“ఓ పార్థా! యుద్ధంలో దుర్యోధన రథాన్ని లక్ష్యంగా వేసిన నీ బాణాలు వ్యర్థంగా పడిపోతున్నవి—ఇది చూసి నాకు మహా ఆశ్చర్యం కలుగుతోంది।”

Word by Word

• विस्मयः: wonder, astonishment
• विस्मयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तव: your / of you
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for absolutive)

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• व्यर्थान्: fruitless, ineffective
• व्यर्थान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निपतितान्: fallen down
• निपतितान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + पत्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• दुर्योधन-रथम्: Duryodhana's chariot
• दुर्योधन-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधनरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards, against
• प्रति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Arjuna (Partha, son of Kunti)
• Duryodhana
• arrows (śara)
• chariot (ratha)
• battlefield (saṅkhya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even exceptional skill can appear to fail in war; outcomes are not governed by prowess alone but also by circumstance, protection, and destiny. The verse invites reflection on humility and the limits of human control amid a dharma-conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya addresses Arjuna (Partha), expressing surprise that Arjuna’s arrows, shot toward Duryodhana’s chariot in the midst of battle, are falling without effect—an unexpected development given Arjuna’s renowned mastery.