Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पदातिगणसंयुक्तस्त्रस्तो राजन्‌ भयार्दित: । उलूकः: प्राद्रवत्‌ तत्र दृष्टवा द्रोणं निपातितम्‌,नरेश्वर! द्रोणाचार्यको वहाँ मारा गया देख उलूक भी भयसे पीड़ित हो थर्रा उठा और पैदल योद्धाओंके साथ जोर-जोरसे भागने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | padātigaṇasaṃyuktaḥ trasto rājan bhayārditaḥ | ulūkaḥ prādravat tatra dṛṣṭvā droṇaṃ nipātitam, nareśvara |

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—రాజా! భయంతో కలవరపడి వణికిపోయిన ఉలూకుడు, పాదాతి దళాలతో చుట్టుముట్టబడి, అక్కడ ద్రోణుడు పడిపోయినదాన్ని చూసి వెంటనే ఆ స్థలంనుండి వేగంగా పారిపోయాడు.

Word by Word

पदाति-गण-संयुक्तःjoined/associated with a troop of foot-soldiers

त्रस्तःterrified

राजन्O king

भय-अर्दितःafflicted by fear

उलूकःUlūka

प्राद्रवत्ran forth / fled

तत्रthere

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

द्रोणम्Droṇa

निपातितम्felled / struck down

नर-ईश्वरO lord of men (O king)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by rājan/nareśvara)

Ulūka

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

infantry/foot-soldiers (padāti-gaṇa)

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 the fall of a central moral and strategic authority (Droṇa) can collapse collective confidence: fear spreads rapidly, and even notable warriors lose steadiness. It implicitly warns that reliance on a single pillar of strength is fragile, and that inner resolve is tested most when revered protectors fall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Ulūka, seeing Droṇa felled, becomes panic-stricken and runs away together with troops of infantry. The scene depicts immediate disarray in the Kaurava ranks following Droṇa’s downfall.