Mahabharata 7.21.35 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

तस्य विद्युदिवा भ्रेषु चापं हेमपरिष्कृतम्‌ । दिक्षु सर्वासु पश्यामो द्रोणस्पामिततेजस:

Transliteration

tasya vidyudivā bhreṣu cāpaṁ hemapariṣkṛtam | dikṣu sarvāsu paśyāmo droṇasyāmitatejasaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Cây cung của ông, được điểm sức vàng, lóe sáng như tia chớp giữa mây. Chúng tôi thấy cây cung vàng rực ấy của Droṇa—rạng ngời không thể lường—chiếu sáng khắp mọi phương.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विद्युत्: lightning
• विद्युत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• भ्रेषु: in the clouds
• भ्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हेमपरिष्कृतम्: adorned/ornamented with gold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम-परिष्कृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• सर्वासु: in all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• पश्यामः: we see
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Present, Indicative, First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• द्रोणस्य: of Drona
• द्रोणस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun (Proper)
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अमिततेजसः: of (him) of immeasurable splendor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित-तेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa (Droṇācārya)
• gold-adorned bow
• clouds
• lightning
• the directions (quarters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming power and brilliance in war can pervade all ‘directions’—not only physically but psychologically—reminding the listener that martial excellence carries grave ethical weight when deployed in a dharma-conflicted battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield scene: Droṇa’s gold-ornamented bow is seen flashing everywhere, compared to lightning in clouds, emphasizing Droṇa’s formidable presence and the terror-inspiring momentum of his actions.