Shloka 4

अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्

Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu

Devanagari script

आचार्यो हि कृती द्रोण: परमास्त्रे कृतश्रम: । अत्यन्तसुखसंवृद्धस्त्वं चायुद्धविशारद:,'द्रोणाचार्य अस्त्रविद्याके विद्वान हैं और उत्तम अस्त्रोंके अभ्यासके लिये उन्होंने विशेष परिश्रम किया है। इधर आप अत्यन्त सुख एवं लाड़-प्यारमें पले हैं। युद्धकी कलामें आप उनके-जैसे विज्ञ नहीं हैं!

Transliteration

ācāryo hi kṛtī droṇaḥ paramāstre kṛtaśramaḥ | atyantasukhasaṃvṛddhas tvaṃ cāyuddhaviśāradaḥ ||

Translation

ద్రోణాచార్యుడు నిజంగా కృతీ; పరమాస్త్రాలలో ఆయన ఘనంగా శ్రమించాడు. కానీ నీవు అత్యంత సుఖసౌఖ్యాలలో పెరిగావు; యుద్ధకళలో ఆయనంత నిపుణుడవు కాడు।

Word by Word

आचार्यःthe teacher

हिindeed/for

कृतीaccomplished/skilled

द्रोणःDrona

परमास्त्रेin the supreme weapons (science/use)

कृतश्रमःone who has exerted effort

अत्यन्तसुखसंवृद्धःbrought up in extreme comfort

त्वम्you

चand

अयुद्धविशारदःnot expert in battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa

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?

Competence—especially in dharmically weighty actions like war—rests on disciplined effort and training, not on privilege or comfort. The verse contrasts Droṇa’s hard-earned mastery with the addressee’s sheltered upbringing to underline that authority in battle must be grounded in proven skill.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events of the Kurukṣetra war, highlights Droṇa’s exceptional expertise in weaponry and rigorous practice, while diminishing the comparative war-readiness of the person being addressed, framing a realistic assessment of martial capability amid the unfolding conflict.