Mahabharata 7.47.12 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 47, Shloka 12

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system

Devanagari script

कृपाचार्यके चारों घोड़ों तथा उनके दो पार्श्वरक्षकोंको धराशायी करके छातीमें दस बाणोंद्वारा प्रहार किया ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

tato vṛndārakaṃ vīraṃ kurūṇāṃ kīrtivardhanam |

putrāṇāṃ tava vīrāṇāṃ paśyatām avadhīd balī ||

Translation

پھر طاقتور ابھیمنیو نے کُروؤں کی کیرتی بڑھانے والے بہادر وِرِندارک کو، تمہارے بہادر بیٹوں کے دیکھتے دیکھتے، قتل کر ڈالا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• वृन्दारकम्: Vr̥ndāraka (name of a warrior)
• वृन्दारकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृन्दारक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वीरम्: heroic, brave
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुरूणाम्: of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कीर्तिवर्धनम्: fame-increasing (enhancer of glory)
• कीर्तिवर्धनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ति-वर्धन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुत्राणाम्: of the sons
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• वीराणाम्: of the heroes
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पश्यताम्: while (they were) seeing; of those watching
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: पश्यत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• अवधीत्: killed, slew
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बली: the strong one, mighty (warrior)
• बली: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Vrindaraka (Vṛndāraka)
• Dhritarashtra (implied by 'tava')
• Kurus (Kuru lineage)
• Dhritarashtra's sons (Kauravas, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kshatriya-worldview where valor and clan-honor are pursued amid mortal danger; it also exposes the ethical weight of war—glory is gained, but at the cost of lives witnessed by one’s own family, intensifying the tragedy and moral tension.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that the powerful Abhimanyu kills the warrior Vrindaraka, described as a fame-enhancer of the Kurus, and does so in full view of Dhritarashtra’s sons, emphasizing both Abhimanyu’s prowess and the Kauravas’ helpless witnessing of the loss.