Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.13.28 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 28

Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)

Devanagari script

मोहयित्वा ततः सैन्यं भारद्वाज: प्रतापवान्‌ | धृष्टद्युम्नबलं तूर्ण व्यधमन्निशितै: शरै:

Transliteration

mohayitvā tataḥ sainyaṃ bhāradvājaḥ pratāpavān | dhṛṣṭadyumnabalaṃ tūrṇaṃ vyadhamann iśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—ఆపై ప్రతాపవంతుడైన భారద్వాజుడు (ద్రోణుడు) సైన్యాన్ని మోహింపజేసి, ధృష్టద్యుమ్నబలాన్ని పదునైన బాణాలతో వేగంగా ఛేదించసాగెను।

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Word by Word

• मोहयित्वा: having deluded/confused
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (मोहयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग (causative sense), non-finite

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सैन्यम्: the army
• सैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भारद्वाजः: Bhāradvāja (Droṇa)
• भारद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty/valorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नबलम्: the force/army of Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नबलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न-बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तूर्णम्: swiftly/quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• व्यधमत्: he smote/struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यधम् (वि + ध्मा/ध्मा?; here: वि + धम् ‘to strike/beat down’)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निशितैः: with sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Bhāradvāja)
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Pāṇḍava army
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how psychological disruption (mohana—confusion of ranks and resolve) can decide outcomes in war, while also intensifying the dharmic dilemma: even when performed as a warrior’s duty, victory achieved through overwhelming force entails grave human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, after confounding the opposing host, rapidly begins slaughtering Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s contingent with volleys of sharp arrows, marking a surge in Droṇa’s offensive against the Pāṇḍava side.