Mahabharata 7.202.28 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 202, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एष चास्त्रप्रतीघातं वासुदेव: प्रयुक्तवान्‌ अन्यथा विहित: संख्ये वध: शत्रोर्जनाधिप

Transliteration

eṣa cāstrapratīghātaṃ vāsudevaḥ prayuktavān; anyathā vihitaḥ saṅkhye vadhaḥ śatror janādhipa, janeśvara!

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “Si Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) ang naglapat ng panangga upang itaboy ang sandatang ito. Kung hindi, O Hari, O panginoon ng mga tao, sa labang ito ngayong araw, ang ganap na paglipol na itinakda para sa kaaway ay tunay sanang naganap.”

Word by Word

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्त्र-प्रतीघातम्: the counteraction/repulse of a weapon
• अस्त्र-प्रतीघातम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रप्रतीघात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वासुदेवः: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रयुक्तवान्: has employed/used
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-युज्
• Form: क्तवतुँ (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा

• विहितः: ordained/appointed; destined
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

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

• शत्रोः: of the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जनाधिप: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जन-ईश्वर: O ruler of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Janādhipa (the king, Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Enemy (śatru)
• Astra (weapon/missile)
• Astrapratīghāta (countermeasure)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid a war driven by destiny, outcomes can be redirected through timely discernment and restraint; Kṛṣṇa’s countermeasure prevents indiscriminate destruction, highlighting responsible use of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) has successfully employed a counter to an incoming weapon; without this intervention, the enemy’s complete slaughter would have occurred in that day’s fighting.