Shloka 77

Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions

Devanagari script

वीरबाहुश् ते पुत्रो वैराटिं रथसत्तमम्‌ | उत्तरं योधयामास विव्याध निशितै: शरै:

Transliteration

vīrabāhuś te putro vairāṭiṁ rathasattamam | uttaraṁ yodhayāmāsa vivyādha niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Con trai của bệ hạ, Vīrabāhu, đã giao chiến với Uttara—dũng sĩ xa chiến xuất sắc của dòng Virāṭa—và bắn trúng chàng bằng những mũi tên sắc nhọn.

Word by Word

वीरबाहुःVīrabāhu (the hero-armed one; proper name)

तेof you/your

पुत्रःson

वैराटिम्the son of Virāṭa (Vairāṭi)

रथसत्तमम्the best of chariot-warriors

उत्तरम्Uttara (proper name)

योधयामासmade (him) fight / engaged (him) in battle

विव्याधpierced

निशितैःwith sharp

शरैःarrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Vīrabāhu

Uttara

Virāṭa (lineage reference)

ratha (chariot)

śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when warfare follows the kṣatriya code of courage and skill, it carries ethical gravity: individual feats of valor occur within a wider conflict whose consequences extend beyond personal glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son Vīrabāhu confronted Uttara, the Virāṭa prince renowned as a chariot-fighter, and wounded him with sharp arrows.