Mahabharata 7.127.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 127, Shloka 3

दुर्योधन-कर्ण-संवादः

Duryodhana–Karna Dialogue on Vyūha-bheda and Daiva

Devanagari script

तव प्रियहिते युक्तो महेष्वासो महाबल: । चित्रपुड्खै: शितैर्बाणै: कलशोत्तमसम्भव:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tava priyahite yukto maheṣvāso mahābalaḥ | citrapuḍkhaiḥ śitair bāṇaiḥ kalaśottamasambhavaḥ | jaghāna somakān rājan sṛñjayān kekayān api |

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—రాజా! నీకు ప్రియమైనదీ హితమైనదీ సాధించుటలో నిమగ్నుడై, మహాబలుడు మహాధనుర్ధరుడు, ఉత్తమ కలశజన్ముడైన ద్రోణాచార్యుడు విచిత్ర పక్షాలతో కూడిన పదునైన బాణాలతో సోమకులను, సృంజయులను, కేకయులను సంహరించుట ప్రారంభించాడు।

Word by Word

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रियहिते: in (your) dear-and-beneficial matter; for your welfare
• प्रियहिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रियहित
• Form: नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• युक्तः: engaged, devoted
• युक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महेष्वासः: great archer
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाबलः: very strong, mighty
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चित्रपुड्खैः: with arrows having variegated feathers
• चित्रपुड्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रपुड्ख
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शितैः: sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• कलशोत्तमसम्भवः: born from the excellent jar (i.e., Drona)
• कलशोत्तमसम्भवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलशोत्तमसम्भव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जघान: slew, struck down
• जघान: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन

• सोमकान्: the Somakas
• सोमकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सृञ्जयान्: the Sṛñjayas
• सृञ्जयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृञ्जय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• केकयान्: the Kekayas
• केकयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Drona (Droṇācārya)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan' as the listener)
• Somakas
• Sṛñjayas
• Kekayas
• sharp arrows (bāṇa)
• variegated feathers (puḍkha)
• kalaśa (vessel) (as birth-epithet context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how devotion to a ruler’s 'dear and beneficial' aims can channel extraordinary skill into lethal action. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between loyalty/duty to one’s side and the escalating harm that such loyalty can produce in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa, the powerful master archer, begins a fierce assault—using sharp, feathered arrows—to cut down the Somakas, Sṛñjayas, and Kekayas on the battlefield.