Mahabharata 7.49.37 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 49, Shloka 37

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall

Devanagari script

युद्धे ह्ाशीविषाकारान्‌ राजपुत्रान्‌ रणे रिपून्‌ | पूर्व निहत्य संग्रामे पश्चादार्जुनिर भ्ययात्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

yuddhe hāśīviṣākārān rājaputrān raṇe ripūn |

pūrvaṁ nihatya saṅgrāme paścād arjunir abhyayāt ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—جنگ میں زہر دار سانپ کی مانند ہولناک دشمن شہزادوں کو رَن میں پہلے قتل کر کے، اس کے بعد ارجن کا بیٹا ابھیمنیو سوَرگ لوک کو چلا گیا۔

Word by Word

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• आशीविषाकारान्: like venomous serpents (terrible)
• आशीविषाकारान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविषाकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजपुत्रान्: princes
• राजपुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रणे: in combat
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रिपून्: enemies
• रिपून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पूर्वम्: first, beforehand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम्

• निहत्य: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• संग्रामे: in the battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• अर्जुनिः: Arjuni (patronymic/descendant of Arjuna; i.e., Abhimanyu)
• अर्जुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्ययात्: went (towards), departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-या
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu (Arjunī)
• enemy princes (rājaputrāḥ)
• heaven (svarga-loka, implied by 'departed to heaven')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ideal of kṣatriya-dharma: facing grave danger, protecting one’s side through valor, and accepting death as the consequence of righteous combat—framing Abhimanyu’s fall not as mere defeat but as a sacrificial, honor-bearing passage to heaven.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya recounts that Abhimanyu, after killing many formidable enemy princes in the thick of battle, was ultimately slain and thus ‘departed’—described as going to the heavenly realm.