Shloka 19

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नो5थ तस्याश्वान्‌ स्वरथाश्वैर्महारथ: । व्यामिश्रयदमेयात्मा ब्राह्ममस्त्रमुदीरयन्‌,तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न महारथी धृष्टद्युम्नने ब्रह्मास्त्रका प्रयोग करनेके लिये अपने रथके घोड़ोंको आचार्यके घोड़ोंसे मिला दिया

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumno 'tha tasyāśvān svarathāśvair mahārathaḥ | vyāmiśrayad ameyātmā brāhmam astram udīrayan ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—అప్పుడు అపరిమితాత్ముడైన మహారథి ధృష్టద్యుమ్నుడు బ్రహ్మాస్త్రాన్ని ప్రయోగించుచూ తన రథాశ్వాలను ద్రోణుని అశ్వాలతో యుద్ధమధ్యంలో కలిపి ఢీకొనెను।

Word by Word

धृष्टद्युम्नःDhrishtadyumna

अथthen/now

तस्यof him/of that (one)

अश्वान्horses

स्वरथाश्वैःwith (his) own chariot-horses

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

व्यामिश्रयत्mingled/entangled (them)

अमेयात्माof immeasurable spirit/might

ब्राह्मम्Brahma-related (Brahmic)

अस्त्रम्weapon/missile

उदीरयन्uttering/launching (while doing so)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Droṇa (implied by 'tasya' and the Hindi gloss 'ācārya')

horses

chariot

Brahmāstra (Brāhma astra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, choices about means matter: invoking a supreme weapon like the Brahmāstra signals escalation and raises ethical pressure—especially when directed toward a revered teacher (ācārya). It frames the tension between kṣatriya duty to win and the restraint expected in righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna closes distance by intermingling his chariot’s horses with Droṇa’s horses, forcing close engagement, and simultaneously begins the discharge/invocation of the Brahmāstra, indicating an intense, high-stakes phase of the duel.