Mahabharata 7.95.64 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 95, Shloka 64

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents

Devanagari script

रथमावार्य गदया केशवं समताडयत्‌ | भारत! तदनन्तर वीर अम्बष्ठने प्रहार करनेके लिये उद्यत हो गदा उठाये आगे बढ़कर अर्जुनके रथको रोक दिया और भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णपर गदासे आघात किया ।।

Transliteration

ratham āvārya gadayā keśavaṁ samatāḍayat | bhārata! tad-anantaraṁ vīraḥ ambaṣṭhena prahāra-karaṇe udhyataḥ san gadām udyamya agre gatvā arjunasya rathaṁ rokayitvā bhagavantaṁ śrīkṛṣṇaṁ gadayā āhatavān || 63 || gadayā tāḍitaṁ dṛṣṭvā keśavaṁ paravīrahā

Translation

ఓ భారతా! ఆపై వీరుడైన అంబష్ఠుడు గదను ఎత్తి దాడికి ముందుకు వచ్చి అర్జునుని రథాన్ని అడ్డగించి, గదతో కేశవుని కొట్టెను. కేశవుడు గదాఘాతానికి గురైనదాన్ని చూచి, శత్రువీర సంహారకుడు (అర్జునుడు)…

Word by Word

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आवार्य: having blocked
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√वृ (आवरण/निवारण)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), having checked/blocked

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• केशवम्: Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समताडयत्: struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√तड् (ताडन)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• ताडितम्: struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तड् (ताडन)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), having seen

• केशवम्: Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परवीरहा: slayer of enemy-heroes
• परवीरहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-वीर-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Arjuna
• ratha (chariot)
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how war can push combatants beyond ordinary restraints, even to the point of attacking a revered charioteer identified with divinity. It invites reflection on dharma in battle: courage and duty must be balanced with limits on cruelty and with reverence for what is sacred, even amid chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

A warrior advances with a mace, blocks Arjuna’s chariot, and strikes Keśava (Kṛṣṇa). The next line signals a reaction: upon seeing Keśava struck, the ‘slayer of enemy-heroes’ (contextually Arjuna) is poised to respond as the narration continues.