Mahabharata 7.116.723 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 723

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

कृतवर्माणमभित: प्रजज्वाल सुदारुणा | और शीघ्र ही उसे अपने रथसे कृतवर्मके रथपर चला दिया। भीमसेनके हाथोंसे छूटी हुई, केंचुलसे निकले हुए सर्पके समान वह भयंकर शक्ति कृतवर्मके समीप जाकर प्रज्वलित हो उठी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kṛtavarmāṇam abhitaḥ prajajvāla sudāruṇā |

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Isang kakila-kilabot at naglalagablab na sandata ang biglang nagningas sa paligid ni Kṛtavarman. Inihagis mula sa kamay ni Bhīmasena at mabilis na itinulak mula sa kanyang karwahe patungo sa karwahe ni Kṛtavarman, ito’y nagliyab sa tabi niya na parang nakapanghihilakbot na ahas na lumulusot mula sa lumang balat nito.

Word by Word

• कृतवर्माणम्: Kṛtavarman (as object)
• कृतवर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभितः: around, on all sides
• अभितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभितः

• प्रजज्वाल: blazed forth, flared up
• प्रजज्वाल: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुदारुणा: very dreadful (fem.)
• सुदारुणा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṛtavarmā
• Bhīmasena
• śakti (missile/weapon)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral danger of unleashed fury in war: once a violent act is released, it takes on a momentum of its own, becoming ‘snake-like’—hard to control and intent on striking its mark. It implicitly warns that martial power must be governed by discernment (dharma), or it turns into indiscriminate destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma hurling a fearsome śakti (missile) toward Kṛtavarmā. The weapon rushes from Bhīma’s chariot to Kṛtavarmā’s chariot and blazes near him, compared to a terrifying serpent emerging from its cast-off skin.