Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 36

Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange

Chapter 55

Devanagari script

स तु द्रोणं त्रिसप्तत्या क्षुरप्राणां समार्पयत्‌ । दुःसहं दशभिर्बाणैद्रौणिमष्टाभिरेव च

Transliteration

sa tu droṇaṃ trisaptatyā kṣuraprāṇāṃ samārpayat | duḥsahaṃ daśabhir bāṇair drauṇim aṣṭābhir eva ca |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: Chàng bắn Droṇa bằng bảy mươi ba mũi tên sắc như dao; lại đâm Duḥsaha mười mũi và Aśvatthāman, con của Droṇa, tám mũi.

Word by Word

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

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• त्रिसप्तत्या: with seventy-three
• त्रिसप्तत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: त्रिसप्तति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्षुरप्राणान्: razor-edged (arrows) named Kṣuraprāṇa
• क्षुरप्राणान्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुरप्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समार्पयत्: he discharged/aimed (at)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√र्प्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुःसहम्: Duḥsaha
• दुःसहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: दुःसह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• द्रौणिम्: Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• द्रौणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अष्टाभिः: with eight
• अष्टाभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun (numeral)
• Root: अष्टन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Droṇa
• Duḥsaha
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• kṣuraprāṇa arrows
• bāṇa (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores disciplined martial conduct: even amid violence, the warrior’s action is portrayed as controlled, targeted, and proportionate—reflecting the harsh but rule-bound frame of kṣatriya-dharma in epic warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

A hero (contextually, the archer in the battle scene) shoots specific counts of razor-pointed arrows at leading opponents—Droṇa, Duḥsaha, and Aśvatthāman—demonstrating overwhelming skill and battlefield dominance.