Mahabharata 7.21.19 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

हयान्‌ ध्वजं धनुर्मष्टिमुभी च पार्ष्णिसारथी । अवाकिरत्‌ ततो द्रोण: शरवर्षै: सहस्रश:,द्रोणने सत्यजित॒के घोड़ों, ध्वज, धनुषकी मुष्टि तथा दोनों पार्श्वरक्षकोंपर सहस्रों बाणोंकी वर्षा की

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | hayān dhvajaṃ dhanurmuṣṭim ubhī ca pārṣṇisārathī | avākirat tato droṇaḥ śaravarṣaiḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：随后，德罗那如暴雨般倾泻成千上万支箭，射中战马、旗幡、弓柄，并击及两侧护卫与御者。此景彰显战场技艺的冷酷精准——使战车的支撑失效竟成一项谋略之举，也令武士之法与战争愈演愈烈的凶暴之间的伦理张力陡然加深。

Word by Word

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मष्टिम्: fist/handle (grip)
• मष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• उभी: both
• उभी: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

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

• पार्ष्णिसारथी: the two attendants—Pārṣṇi and Sārathi (side-guards/charioteers)
• पार्ष्णिसारथी: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्ष्णिसारथि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• अवाकिरत्: showered/covered (with missiles)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• द्रोणः: Droṇa
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरवर्षैः: with showers of arrows
• शरवर्षैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands; in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇa
• horses
• banner (dhvaja)
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• bow-grip (muṣṭi)
• charioteers/attendants (sārathi)
• flank-guards (pārṣṇi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare often targets the supports of power—horses, banner, and attendants—showing strategic intelligence but also intensifying the moral strain of battle, where duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can slide into relentless destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Droṇa unleashes a massive volley of arrows aimed not only at the warrior but at the chariot’s key components and personnel—horses, standard, bow-grip, and side attendants—seeking to disable and overwhelm the opponent’s fighting capacity.