Mahabharata 7.21.26 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 26

द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping

Devanagari script

सूर्यरश्मिप्रतीकाशै: कर्मारपरिमार्जिति: । षड्भि: ससूतं सहयं द्रोणं विद्ध्वानदद्‌ भूशम्‌

Transliteration

sūryaraśmipratīkāśaiḥ karmāraparimārjitaiḥ | ṣaḍbhiḥ sasūtaṃ sahayaṃ droṇaṃ viddhvā nanāda bhūśam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Với sáu mũi tên sáng như tia mặt trời, được thợ rèn mài bóng, chàng bắn trúng Droṇa—cả người đánh xe lẫn ngựa—rồi gầm vang như một con bò mộng hùng vĩ.

Word by Word

• सूर्य: of the sun
• सूर्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रश्मि: of a ray
• रश्मि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रतीकाशैः: resembling, like
• प्रतीकाशैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतीकाश
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कर्मार: by a smith/artisan
• कर्मार: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• परिमार्जितैः: polished/cleaned
• परिमार्जितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-मृज्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• ससूतम्: together with charioteer
• ससूतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-सूत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सहयम्: together with horses
• सहयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• विद्ध्वा: having pierced/wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• ननाद: roared
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• भूयः: again, loudly/abundantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• charioteer (sūta)
• horses (haya)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• smith/metal-worker (karmāra)
• sunrays (sūryaraśmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how war magnifies skill and aggression while compressing moral space: even a revered teacher like Droṇa becomes a target when combat duty dominates. It invites reflection on how dharma can be pressured by circumstance, and how prowess without restraint intensifies suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior (contextually, an opposing fighter to Droṇa) shoots six brilliantly polished arrows, wounding Droṇa along with his charioteer and horses, and then lets out a thunderous roar, signaling dominance and escalating the battle’s intensity.