Mahabharata 7.95.26 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 95, Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

तयो: पदानुगान्‌ हत्वा पुन: पञ्चाशतं रथान्‌ | प्रत्यगाद्‌ भारतीं सेनां निघ्नन्‌ पार्थो वरान्‌ वरान्‌

Transliteration

tayor padānugān hatvā punaḥ pañcāśataṁ rathān | pratyagād bhāratīṁ senāṁ nighnan pārtho varān varān ||

Translation

ครั้นสังหารนักรบรถศึกห้าสิบคนที่ติดตามสองคนนั้นแล้ว ปารถะก็หวนกลับเข้าไปในกองทัพภารตะอีกครั้ง พลางโค่นล้มยอดวีรชนของฝ่ายนั้นทีละคน ๆ

Word by Word

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, dual

• पदानुगान्: followers (those who went after the footsteps)
• पदानुगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदानुग (पद + अनुग)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पञ्चाशतम्: fifty
• पञ्चाशतम्: Karma
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• रथान्: chariots (chariot-warriors)
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• प्रत्यगात्: returned / went back (towards)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + गम्
• Form: aorist (luṅ), 3rd, singular, active

• भारतीम्: of the Bharatas
• भारतीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भारती
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• सेनाम्: army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• निघ्नन्: slaying
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वरान्: the best (heroes)
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• वरान्: the best (again, for emphasis)
• वरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Kaurava army (Bhāratī senā)
• chariots/chariot-warriors (rathāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a wartime ethic typical of the epic: a kṣatriya’s duty is framed as confronting and disabling the most dangerous opponents to protect one’s side. It also reflects the moral tension of battle—valor and duty expressed through targeted, strategic violence against foremost champions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna kills fifty chariot-warriors who are pursuing behind “those two,” and then re-enters the Kaurava formation, continuing to cut down their leading fighters in succession.