Mahabharata 7.47.11 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 47, Shloka 11

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system

Devanagari script

पातयित्वा कृपस्याशभ्चांस्तथो भौ पार्ष्णिसारथी । अथैनं दशभिर्बाणै: प्रत्यविध्यत्‌ स्तनान्तरे

Transliteration

pātayitvā kṛpasyāśvān tathā bhau pārṣṇisārathī | athainaṃ daśabhir bāṇaiḥ pratyavidhyat stanāntare ||

Translation

కృపుని అశ్వములను పడగొట్టిన తరువాత పార్ష్ణి యొక్క సారథి అతనిని పది బాణములతో వక్షస్థలమున భేదించెను.

Word by Word

• पातयित्वा: having caused to fall / having felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (पातयति caus.)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग (causative sense)

• कृपस्य: of Kripa
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: thus / likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• पार्ष्णिसारथी: Parshni's charioteer (i.e., the charioteer named Pārṣṇisārathi)
• पार्ष्णिसारथी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्ष्णि-सारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययान्त सर्वनाम; एनद्-रूप)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रत्यविध्यत्: pierced / struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (वि + प्रति उपसर्ग; विध्यति)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, Third, Singular

• स्तनान्तरे: in the space between the breasts / in the chest
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛpa
• Pārṣṇisārathī (Kṛṣṇa as charioteer of Arjuna/Pārṣṇi)
• horses
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of proportional response within kṣatriya-dharma: tactical actions (disabling the opponent’s mobility by felling horses) are met with immediate counteraction, emphasizing duty-bound combat rather than uncontrolled vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa, identified as the charioteer of Pārṣṇi (Arjuna), first causes Kṛpa’s horses to fall; then he pierces Kṛpa with ten arrows in the chest area, as reported by Sañjaya.