Mahabharata — Drona Parva, Shloka 27

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 107: Karṇa–Bhīma Saṃmarda

Arrow-storm Engagement

Devanagari script

किंकिणीशतसंह्वादो भ्राजंश्रित्रो रथोत्तमे । व्यभ्राजत भृशं राजन्‌ पुत्रस्तव विशाम्पते

Transliteration

kiṅkiṇīśata-saṃhvādo bhrājañ śrītro rathottame | vyabhrājata bhṛśaṃ rājan putras tava viśāmpate ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王、民众之主啊，你的儿子立于那上等战车之上，光辉夺目——百铃齐鸣，喧响震耳——在战阵的华丽与凶险渐次逼近之时，他依旧灿然辉映，威仪赫奕。

Word by Word

• किंकिणीशतसंह्वादः: having the sound of a hundred tinkling bells
• किंकिणीशतसंह्वादः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकिणी + शत + संह्वाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्राजंश्रित्रः: shining, splendid
• भ्राजंश्रित्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्राजत् + श्रित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रथः: chariot
• रथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तमे: on/among the best (chariots)
• उत्तमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• व्यभ्राजत: shone forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्राज्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

• भृशम्: greatly, exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you, your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• your son (Duryodhana, in context)
• excellent chariot (rathottama)
• tinkling bells (kiṅkiṇī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward brilliance—royal splendor, martial display, and the intoxicating aesthetics of war—can captivate attention even amid grave ethical stakes. It implicitly contrasts appearance (radiance, pomp) with the deeper moral consequences unfolding in the conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how the king’s son appears on an excellent chariot, loudly resonant with many bells and shining intensely—an image of conspicuous martial grandeur as the battle scene progresses.