Mahabharata 7.21.6 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

तथास्य सारथे: पठ्च शरान्‌ सर्पविषोपमान्‌ | अमुञ्चदन्तकप्रख्यान्‌ सम्मुमोहास्य सारथि:

Transliteration

tathāsya sārathiḥ pañca śarān sarpaviṣopamān | amuñcad antakaprakhyān sammumohāsya sārathiḥ ||

Translation

接着，他向其御者连发五箭——如蛇毒般剧烈，凶怖如死神。御者中箭后，当即昏厥倒下。

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सारथेः: of the charioteer
• सारथेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karma
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: all, accusative, plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सर्पविषोपमान्: like serpent-poison
• सर्पविषोपमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्पविष-उपम
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अमुञ्चत्: released, shot
• अमुञ्चत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अन्तकप्रख्यान्: terrible like Antaka (Death)
• अन्तकप्रख्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तक-प्रख्य
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सम्मुमोह: became bewildered / fainted
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: perfect (liṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सारथिः: the charioteer
• सारथिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• sārathi (charioteer)
• śara (arrows)
• sarpaviṣa (snake-poison)
• Antaka / Yama (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral cost of war: even when the target is a combatant, the suffering often falls upon attendants and non-primary participants (like charioteers). The imagery of poison and Death stresses how quickly violence overwhelms human agency and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of battle, a warrior releases five extremely fearsome arrows at an opponent’s charioteer. The charioteer is struck and loses consciousness, impairing the chariot’s control and escalating the peril on the battlefield.