Mahabharata 7.140.13 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 13

Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ

Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa

Devanagari script

नूनं पार्थार्थमेवास्मान्‌ मोहयन्ति दिवौकस: । यत्‌ कर्णभीमप्रभवैर्वध्यते नो बल शरै:ः

Transliteration

nūnaṃ pārthārtham evāsmān mohāyanti divaukasaḥ | yat karṇa-bhīma-prabhavair vadhyate no balaṃ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Quả thật các thần linh đang làm chúng ta mê muội chỉ vì lợi ích của Pārtha (Arjuna). Bởi quân ta đang bị quét sạch bởi những mũi tên phát ra từ Karṇa và Bhīmasena—dường như quyền lực thần thánh đang xoay chuyển thế cục chống lại chúng ta để mưu phúc cho phe Pāṇḍava.

Word by Word

• नूनम्: surely, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम्

• पार्थार्थम्: for the sake of Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थार्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: only, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Plural

• मोहयन्ति: delude, bewilder
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यत्: because/that (relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कर्णभीमप्रभवैः: arising from Karna and Bhima
• कर्णभीमप्रभवैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्णभीमप्रभव
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वध्यते: is being slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada (Passive)

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शरैः: by arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• the gods (Divaukasaḥ)
• Karna
• Bhīmasena
• arrows (śara)
• army/force (bala)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, amid war, people interpret reversals as the work of divine forces. It foregrounds moha (confusion) and the tendency to attribute battlefield outcomes to fate or the gods, especially when events seem to favor a particular righteous cause or hero.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava side feels bewildered, suspecting the gods are influencing their minds for Arjuna’s benefit, because their forces are being heavily destroyed by volleys of arrows associated with Karṇa and Bhīmasena.