Shloka 20

Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam

Devanagari script

ततो द्रोणो5भिवीक्ष्यैव वायव्यास्त्रं सुदारुणम्‌

Transliteration

tato droṇo ’bhivīkṣyaiva vāyavyāstraṃ sudāruṇam

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Khi ấy Droṇa vừa trông thấy Vāyavya-astra ghê rợn ấy liền lập tức chú tâm đối phó.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• अभिवीक्ष्य: having observed, having looked at
• अभिवीक्ष्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-वीक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्), indeclinable; 'having looked at/observed'

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: Avyaya (emphatic particle)

• वायव्यास्त्रम्: the wind-weapon (Vayavya astra)
• वायव्यास्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य + अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful, extremely fierce
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular (agreeing with अस्त्रम्)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Droṇa
• Vāyavyāstra (Wind-weapon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, the appearance of a fearsome weapon compels immediate strategic response; ethically, it points to the peril of escalation—when power is met with power, the space for restraint and dharmic moderation narrows.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Droṇa notices the deployment (or presence) of the formidable Vāyavyāstra and reacts at once, indicating a critical moment in the battle where divine or specialized weapons enter the field.