Mahabharata 7.79.8 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 79, Shloka 8

Jayadratha-rakṣā: Conch Signals and Encirclement of Arjuna

Chapter 79

Devanagari script

यो<स्तूयत पुरा हृष्टे: सूतमागधवन्दिभि: । सोड्द्य क्रव्यादगणैघोरिविनदद्धिरुपास्यते

Transliteration

yo 'stūyata purā hṛṣṭaiḥ sūta-māgadha-vandibhiḥ | so 'dya kravyāda-gaṇaiḥ ghora-vinaddhair upāsyate ||

Translation

جسے پہلے خوشی سے بھرے ہوئے سوت، ماگدھ اور وندیجن سراہا کرتے تھے، آج اسی کے گرد ہولناک شور میں گوشت خور خوفناک درندوں کے غول گویا عبادت گزار بن کر جمع ہیں۔

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्तूयत: was praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• हृष्टैः: by delighted (people)
• हृष्टैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सूत: charioteers/bards (sūtas)
• सूत: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural (as member of a list; understood)

• मागध: Magadha panegyrists (māgadhas)
• मागध: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural (as member of a list; understood)

• वन्दिभिः: by eulogists (vandins)
• वन्दिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सः: he, that same one
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• क्रव्यादगणैः: by groups of flesh-eaters
• क्रव्यादगणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• घोर: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular (agreeing with implied subject/agent)

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

• नदद्भिः: by roaring (ones)
• नदद्भिः: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद् (धातु) → नदत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural, Present active participle

• उपास्यते: is worshipped/attended upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• सूत (Sūta)
• मागध (Māgadha)
• वन्दी/वन्दिन् (Vandin, panegyrist)
• क्रव्याद (Kravyāda, flesh-eating creatures)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of worldly glory: one who once received celebratory praise from professional bards is now surrounded by the ominous ‘service’ of scavengers. It ethically frames war as a force that overturns honor into horror, reminding the listener of impermanence and the cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fallen or doomed warrior/hero: formerly acclaimed by sūtas, māgadhas, and vandins, he is now on the battlefield where flesh-eating creatures gather, roaring terribly, as if performing a grim kind of worship around the dead.