Mahabharata 7.96.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 96, Shloka 7

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 96: Sātyaki’s Line-Penetration, Encirclement, and Advance toward Arjuna

Devanagari script

“गुरुदेव! पुरुषसिंह अर्जुन हमारी इस विशाल सेनाको मथकर व्यूहके भीतर चला गया। अब आप अपनी बुद्धिसे यह विचार कीजिये कि इसके बाद अर्जुनके विनाशके लिये क्या करना चाहिये? इस भयंकर नरसंहारमें जिस प्रकार भी पुरुषसिंह जयद्रथ न मारे जायँ

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

asau dhanañjayān nṛpa kopamārutacoditaḥ |

senākakṣaṃ dahati me vahniḥ kakṣam ivotthitaḥ |

tvarann ekarathenaiva sametya droṇam abravīt ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—రాజా! కోపమనే ఉగ్ర గాలిచేత ప్రేరితుడైన ఈ ధనంజయుడు, అకస్మాత్తుగా లేచిన అడవిదావానలం ఎండిన అడవిని దహించునట్లు, నా సేన రక్షణ వరుసలను దహిస్తున్నాడు. ఈ పరుగు పెరుగుతున్నదని చూసి మీ కుమారుడు దుర్యోధనుడు ఒక్క రథంలోనే వేగంగా ద్రోణుని వద్దకు వెళ్లి, ఆయనను కలసి పలికాడు।

Word by Word

• असौ: that (man), he
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धनंजयम्: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper epithet)
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• कोप: anger
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मारुत: wind
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चोदितः: impelled, driven
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: चोदित (चुद् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सेना: of the army
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• कक्षम्: thicket/brushwood; (here) dry forest-mass
• कक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दहति: burns
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कक्षम्: thicket/brushwood
• कक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उत्थितः: arisen, sprung up
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: उत्थित (स्था/स्था॒ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; उत्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वरन्: hastening
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: त्वर् (धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एक: with one (single)
• Type: Adjective/Numeral
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रथेन: by/with a chariot
• रथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed, just, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• समेत्य: having approached, meeting
• Type: Verbal indeclinable (gerund)
• Root: सम्-इ (धातु, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)

• द्रोणम्: Droṇa
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Past), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by nṛpa/king as addressee)
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Duryodhana (implied by narrative continuation: ‘your son’)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses the wildfire simile to show how wrath amplifies destructive power in war: anger becomes the ‘wind’ that drives the ‘fire,’ turning ordered ranks into chaos. It implicitly cautions leaders that unchecked kopa (anger) escalates violence and forces desperate strategic responses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, intent on breaking through to Jayadratha, is cutting through Kaurava defenses so fiercely that the army seems to burn like dry brush in a sudden blaze. Seeing the rout, Duryodhana rushes alone to Droṇa to seek immediate counsel and countermeasures.