Mahabharata 7.21.65 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 65

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

Devanagari script

ते दानवा इवेन्द्रेण वध्यमाना महात्मना । पज्चाला: केकया मत्स्या: समकम्पन्त भारत

Transliteration

te dānavā ivendreṇa vadhyamānā mahātmanā | pāñcālāḥ kekayā matsyāḥ samakampanta bhārata bharatanandana ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Hỡi Bhārata, hỡi niềm vinh hiển của dòng Bharata, như bọn Dānavas bị Indra đánh giết, quân Pāñcāla, Kekaya và Matsya—bị Droṇa, bậc đại hùng tâm, giáng đòn—đã bắt đầu run sợ.

Word by Word

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दानवाः: demons (Dānavas)
• दानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वध्यमानाः: being slain
• वध्यमानाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्यमान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पाञ्चालाः: the Pāñcālas
• पाञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केकयाः: the Kekayas
• केकयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मत्स्याः: the Matsyas
• मत्स्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समकम्पन्त: trembled, shook
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भरतनन्दन: O delight of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतनन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Indra
• Droṇa
• Dānavas
• Pāñcālas
• Kekayas
• Matsyas
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (as Bhārata/Bharatanandana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how inner steadiness and disciplined leadership are crucial in dharmic warfare: even a righteous force can falter when confronted by overwhelming power, so courage and duty must be upheld despite fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Droṇa’s assault is so formidable that the Pāñcāla, Kekaya, and Matsya troops begin to tremble—compared to Dānavas being cut down by Indra.