Mahabharata 7.159.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 159, Shloka 7

अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः

Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle

Devanagari script

वृद्ध वृद्धगुणैर्युक्ते ययातिमिव नाहुषम्‌ । विव्याध दशभिस्ती $णै: शरैर्वज़निपातनै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vṛddhaṃ vṛddhaguṇairyuktaṃ yayātim iva nāhuṣam | vivyādha daśabhis tīkṣṇaiḥ śarair vajranipātanaiḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—అప్పుడు కుమారశోకంతో దగ్ధుడై, అపారంగా కోపించిన సాత్యకి, నహుషనందన యయాతి వలె వృద్ధగుణాలతో యుక్తుడైన వృద్ధ సోమదత్తుని వజ్రసమానమైన పది తీక్ష్ణ బాణాలతో ఛేదించాడు.

Word by Word

• वृद्ध: aged/old (one)
• वृद्ध: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृद्ध-गुणैः: with the qualities of old age (i.e., mature virtues)
• वृद्ध-गुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-गुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• युक्ते: endowed (with)
• युक्ते: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ययातिम्: Yayāti
• ययातिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ययाति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• नाहुषम्: Nāhuṣa
• नाहुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• वज्र-निपातनैः: capable of felling even (like) a thunderbolt / thunderbolt-felling
• वज्र-निपातनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-निपातन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Somadatta
• Satyaki
• Yayati
• Nahusha
• Vajra (Indra’s thunderbolt)
• Arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, personal grief and anger can drive action, yet the narrative frames it within kṣatriya-dharma: combat becomes a harsh arena where retaliation and duty intertwine, and even venerable age offers no immunity once one remains on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki, overwhelmed by sorrow for his son and enraged, attacks Somadatta and pierces him with ten extremely powerful, sharp arrows; Somadatta is described as an aged, dignified warrior, compared to Yayāti of the Nahuṣa line.