Mahabharata 7.21.6 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

तथास्य सारथे: पठ्च शरान्‌ सर्पविषोपमान्‌ | अमुञ्चदन्तकप्रख्यान्‌ सम्मुमोहास्य सारथि:

Transliteration

tathāsya sārathiḥ pañca śarān sarpaviṣopamān | amuñcad antakaprakhyān sammumohāsya sārathiḥ ||

Translation

Rồi chàng phóng năm mũi tên vào người đánh xe—những mũi tên như nọc rắn, ghê rợn tựa Thần Chết. Bị trúng đòn ấy, người đánh xe ngã lịm đi.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सारथेः: of the charioteer
• सारथेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karma
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: all, accusative, plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सर्पविषोपमान्: like serpent-poison
• सर्पविषोपमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्पविष-उपम
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अमुञ्चत्: released, shot
• अमुञ्चत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अन्तकप्रख्यान्: terrible like Antaka (Death)
• अन्तकप्रख्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तक-प्रख्य
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सम्मुमोह: became bewildered / fainted
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: perfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सारथिः: the charioteer
• सारथिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• sārathi (charioteer)
• śara (arrows)
• sarpaviṣa (snake-poison)
• Antaka / Yama (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral cost of war: even when the target is a combatant, the suffering often falls upon attendants and non-primary participants (like charioteers). The imagery of poison and Death stresses how quickly violence overwhelms human agency and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of battle, a warrior releases five extremely fearsome arrows at an opponent’s charioteer. The charioteer is struck and loses consciousness, impairing the chariot’s control and escalating the peril on the battlefield.