Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तैः शरैद्रोणपुत्रस्य वजवेगै: समाहता: । प्रदग्धा रिपव: पेतुरग्निदग्धा इव द्रुमा:,द्रोणपुत्रके चलाये हुए उन वज्रके समान वेगशाली बाणोंसे घायल हुए शत्रुसैनिक आगके जलाये हुए वृक्षोंके समान दग्ध होकर गिरने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | taiḥ śarair droṇaputrasya vajravegaiḥ samāhatāḥ | pradagdhā ripavaḥ petur agnidagdhā iva drumāḥ ||

Translation

ద్రోణపుత్రుడు వదిలిన వజ్రవేగమైన ఆ బాణాలకు తాకి శత్రు వీరులు దగ్ధమైనట్లై కూలిపోవడం మొదలైంది—అగ్నిలో కాలిన వృక్షాలు పడిపోవునట్లుగా।

Word by Word

तैःby those

शरैःby arrows

द्रोणपुत्रस्यof Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman)

वज्रवेगैःwith thunderbolt-like speed

समाहताःstruck, smitten

प्रदग्धाःburnt up, scorched

रिपवःenemies

पेतुःfell

अग्निदग्धाःburnt by fire

इवlike, as if

द्रुमाःtrees

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāman)

arrows (śara)

enemies/foes (ripavaḥ)

fire (agni)

trees (druma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the overwhelming, almost elemental force of warfare once set in motion: skill and wrath can fell living beings as easily as fire fells trees. Implicitly, it invites reflection on the ethical gravity of violence even when performed under the banner of kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman shooting thunderbolt-swift arrows. The enemy troops, grievously wounded and ‘scorched’ by the assault, collapse in large numbers, compared to trees falling after being burned by fire.