Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.21.11 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 11

द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping

Devanagari script

स शीघ्रतरमादाय धनुरन्यत्‌ प्रतापवान्‌ | द्रोणमभ्यहनद्‌ राजंस्त्रिंशता कड़गकपत्रिभि:

Transliteration

sa śīghrataram ādāya dhanur anyat pratāpavān | droṇam abhyahanad rājan triṃśatā kaṅkapatribhiḥ ||

Translation

రాజా! ధనుస్సు కోసివేయబడగానే ప్రతాపవంతుడైన సత్యజితుడు వెంటనే మరో ధనుస్సు తీసుకొని, కంకపక్షాలతో కూడిన ముప్పై బాణాలతో ద్రోణాచార్యుని బలంగా గాయపరిచాడు.

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Word by Word

• सः: he (Satyajit)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शीघ्रतरम्: a swifter (one)
• शीघ्रतरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्रतर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valiant
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यहनत्: struck, smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + हन्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• त्रिंशता: with thirty
• त्रिंशता: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: त्रिंशत्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• कङ्कपत्रिभिः: with (arrows) having heron-feathers
• कङ्कपत्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कङ्कपत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• राजन्/धृतराष्ट्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• द्रोण (Droṇa/Dronācārya)
• धनुः (bow)
• बाण (arrows)
• कङ्क (kaṅka-bird; heron/egret)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical tension of dharma in war: even a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a legitimate target once he stands as an armed commander. Martial excellence and unwavering resolve are portrayed as decisive, yet the scene implicitly reminds the listener that battlefield duty can force actions that would be morally unthinkable in peaceful contexts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a powerful warrior quickly takes up a second bow and strikes Droṇa with thirty arrows fitted with kaṅka-bird feathers, indicating an intense exchange and a momentary advantage against Droṇa.