Mahabharata 7.13.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 7

Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच यथा मे न वध: कार्य आचार्यस्य कदाचन

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca—rājan, yadā droṇācāryaḥ kiñcid antaraṃ kṛtvā rājānaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraṃ bandhanāya pratijajñe, tadā tava sainyāni yudhiṣṭhirasya grahaṇodyogaṃ śrutvā uccair uccaiḥ siṃhanādaṃ cakruḥ bhujān ca tāḍayām āsuḥ. bharatanandana, tasmin kāle dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śīghram eva svaviśvāsya-gūptacaraiḥ yathāyogaṃ sarvāḥ kathāḥ samyag avagacchat—kiṃ droṇācāryaḥ cikīrṣati iti.

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า ข้าแต่พระราชา ครั้นเมื่อโทรณะ—ด้วยการคำนวณอย่างรอบคอบและเว้นระยะอย่างจงใจ—ปฏิญาณว่าจะจับพระเจ้ายุธิษฐิระให้ได้ กองทัพของพระองค์ครั้นได้ยินความพยายามจะจับยุธิษฐิระ ก็เปล่งเสียงคำรามดุจสิงห์และตบแขนด้วยความฮึกเหิม โอ เชื้อสายภารตะ ในกาลนั้นเอง ธรรมราชยุธิษฐิระได้ทราบโดยฉับไวและถูกต้อง ผ่านสายลับผู้ไว้วางใจ ถึงสิ่งที่บุตรแห่งภารทวาชะ คือโทรณะ ตั้งใจจะกระทำทั้งหมด

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यथा: so that / in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वधः: killing / slaying
• वधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कार्यः: to be done / should be done
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आचार्यस्य: of the teacher (Drona)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

• आप्तैः: by trusted (persons)
• आप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• परिज्ञातम्: fully known / ascertained
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (PPP sense)

• भारद्वाज: of Bharadvaja (i.e., Drona, son of Bharadvaja)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (intended) / Vocative (possible), Singular

• चिकीर्षितम्: intended to do / wished to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: सन् + क्त (desiderative PPP sense), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Droṇācārya (Drona)
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)
• Kaurava army (tava sainyāni)
• trusted secret agents (gūptacarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a commander’s vow and strategy (pratijñā, antaraṃ kṛtvā) shapes the ethical and political stakes of war, while also emphasizing the necessity of timely intelligence (gūptacara) for a righteous ruler to respond without panic or impropriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

Drona vows to capture Yudhishthira; the Kaurava troops celebrate loudly, expecting advantage. Yudhishthira, however, promptly learns Drona’s intended plan through trusted spies, indicating preparedness and the role of intelligence amid battlefield maneuvering.