Mahabharata 7.198.32 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 198, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

यो हानाथ इवाक्रम्य पार्षतेन हतस्तथा

Transliteration

yo hānātha ivākramya pārṣatena hatas tathā

Translation

جسے گویا بےیار و مددگار سمجھ کر دبا لیا گیا، اور پھر پِرشَت کے بیٹے کے ہاتھوں اسی طرح مار ڈالا گیا۔

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हा: alas!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा

• अनाथः: helpless, without protector
• अनाथः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• आक्रम्य: having attacked/assailed, having advanced upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• पार्षतेन: by the son of Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)
• पार्षतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हतः: killed, slain
• हतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (speaker)
• Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: even in a righteous battle, killing someone who appears helpless or unprotected is morally troubling and invites scrutiny under kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna comments on a killing attributed to Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), describing the victim as having been overpowered and slain as if defenseless, signaling Arjuna’s concern about the manner of the act.