Mahabharata 6.103.16 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 16

भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103

Devanagari script

मोहयित्वा कृपं द्रोणं द्रौणिं च सबूहदूबलम्‌ | सैन्धवं च महेष्वासो व्यचरल्लघु सुष्ठ च

Transliteration

mohayitvā kṛpaṃ droṇaṃ drauṇiṃ ca sabṛhadbalam | saindhavaṃ ca maheṣvāso vyacaral laghu suṣṭhu ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Sau khi làm cho Kṛpa, Droṇa, con của Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā), Bṛhadbala, và cả vua xứ Sindhu là Jayadratha phải rối trí, vị đại cung thủ ấy liền xoay chuyển khắp bốn phía—nhanh như gió và đẹp đẽ lạ thường.”

Word by Word

• मोहयित्वा: having deluded/bewildered
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (मोहयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग (causative sense)

• कृपम्: Kripa
• कृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रोणम्: Drona
• द्रोणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रौणिम्: Drauni (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• बृहद्बलम्: Brihadbala (the great-strong one)
• बृहद्बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहद्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सैन्धवम्: the Sindhu-king (Jayadratha)
• सैन्धवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• महेष्वासः: the great archer
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यचरৎ: moved about / roamed
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• लघु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)

• सुष्ठु: well / excellently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुष्ठु

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• Bṛhadbala
• Jayadratha (Saindhava, Sindhu king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how exceptional skill and presence of mind can momentarily overturn even formidable opposition; ethically, it also points to the tension in war where brilliance and duty operate within a destructive arena, testing the boundaries of righteous conduct (dharma) and strategic necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu’s battlefield movement: he confounds senior Kaurava-side warriors—Kṛpa, Droṇa, Aśvatthāmā, Bṛhadbala, and Jayadratha—and then ranges swiftly in multiple directions, indicating dominance and agility in the ongoing combat.