Mahabharata 7.100.56 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 100, Shloka 56

Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ

Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement

Devanagari script

ततो युद्धमभूद्‌ राज॑स्तेषां तव च धन्विनाम्‌

Transliteration

tato yuddham abhūd rājas teṣāṃ tava ca dhanvinām

Translation

三阇耶说道：“于是，噢大王，那些武士与你的弓手之间，便爆发了惨烈的战斗。”此句点出武装冲突的悲剧必然：当对立的职责与忠诚凝结为暴力，双方终被拖入相互毁灭之途。

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from/thereafter')

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अभूत्: arose/occurred/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अङ्गभूत-भूतकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (त्रिलिङ्ग)

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• धन्विनाम्: of the bowmen/archers
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• your bowmen (Kaurava archers)
• those warriors (opposing fighters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war emerges as a consequence of entrenched allegiance and duty: once sides are fixed, even rightful obligations (kṣatriya-dharma) can culminate in destructive conflict, reminding the listener of the ethical weight and cost of such choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that fighting has broken out between the opposing warriors and the king’s own archers, marking an escalation into direct battle in the Drona Parva context.