Mahabharata 7.21.53 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

ततो राजानमासाद्य प्रहरन्‍्तमभीतवत्‌ । अविध्यन्नव्ि: क्षेमं स हतः प्रापतद्‌ रथात्‌

Transliteration

tato rājānam āsādya praharan abhītavat | avidhyan nava-bhiḥ kṣemaṃ sa hataḥ prāpatad rathāt ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi đó, áp sát Vua Kṣema khi ông đang ra đòn không chút sợ hãi, Droṇa đâm xuyên ông bằng chín mũi tên. Bị thương bởi những mũi tên ấy, Kṣema ngã khỏi chiến xa. Cảnh tượng nhấn mạnh đà không khoan nhượng của chiến trận: lòng dũng cảm và địa vị vương giả không đem lại miễn trừ, và bổn phận của chiến binh (như được hiểu trên chiến địa) được thi hành bằng sức mạnh dứt khoát, thậm chí chí tử.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having approached/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रहरन्तम्: striking, attacking
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हृ
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभीतवत्: fearless, unafraid
• अभीतवत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीतवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अविध्यत्: pierced, struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नवभिः: with nine
• नवभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• क्षेमम्: Kṣema (proper name)
• क्षेमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हतः: slain, struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रापतत्: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King Kṣema
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethic of battlefield duty as portrayed in the epic: fearlessness and decisive action are praised in combat, yet even kings are vulnerable to the consequences of war. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that power and status do not shield one from mortality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a warrior closes in on King Kṣema while Kṣema is fighting boldly, pierces him with nine arrows, and Kṣema—struck down—falls from his chariot.