Mahabharata 7.16.4 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 16, Shloka 4

Adhyāya 16: Saṃśaptaka-vrata and the Diversion of Arjuna (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६)

Devanagari script

तेनारदिता महाराज रथिन: सादिनस्तथा । निपेतुरुरव्या सहसा वातभग्ना इव द्रुमा:

Transliteration

tenārditā mahārāja rathinaḥ sādinastathā | nipetur urvyā sahasā vātabhagnā iva drumāḥ ||

Translation

మహారాజా! వృషసేనుని దెబ్బలకు తాళలేక రథికులు, అశ్వారోహులు అకస్మాత్తుగా భూమిపై కూలిపోయారు—ప్రచండ గాలికి విరిగి పడే వృక్షాలవలె.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अर्दिताः: afflicted, tormented
• अर्दिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्दित (अर्द् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रथिनः: chariot-warriors
• रथिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सादिनः: horsemen (mounted warriors)
• सादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and also, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• निपेतुः: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• उरव्याम्: on the earth
• उरव्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• सहसा: suddenly, at once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• वात: by wind
• वात: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• भग्नाः: broken
• भग्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (भञ्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• द्रुमाः: trees
• द्रुमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vṛṣasena
• rathinaḥ (chariot-warriors)
• sādinaḥ (horsemen)
• urvī (earth)
• vāta (wind)
• druma (trees)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the suddenness and scale of destruction in war: even mighty warriors can fall instantly when overpowered. Implicitly it presses the ethical burden of kingship—leaders must recognize that strategic choices unleash irreversible human loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vṛṣasena is striking down opposing fighters; chariot-warriors and horsemen collapse to the ground in large numbers, compared to trees felled by a fierce wind.