Mahabharata 7.89.27 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 89, Shloka 27

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach

Devanagari script

ततः शतसहस््राणि योधानामनिवर्तिनाम्‌ । व्यवस्थितानि सर्वाणि शकटे मुखरक्षिणाम्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi yodhānām anivartinām | vyavasthitāni sarvāṇi śakaṭe mukharakṣiṇām ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“随后，十万名决意不退的战士尽皆列阵，用以守护‘车形阵’（Śakaṭa）最前方的阵面。”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)

• शतसहस्राणि: hundred-thousands (i.e., one hundred thousand)
• शतसहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतसहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• योधानाम्: of warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अनिवर्तिनाम्: of those who do not turn back
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• व्यवस्थितानि: stationed, arrayed
• व्यवस्थितानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवस्थित (स्था-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वाणि: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• शकटे: in/at the cart(-formation) (Śakaṭa-vyūha context)
• शकटे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मुखरक्षिणाम्: of the front-guards / protectors of the front
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुखरक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• warriors (yodhāḥ)
• Śakaṭa-vyūha (cart-shaped battle formation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma as steadfastness under pressure: warriors are praised for not retreating and for protecting the strategic ‘front’ of a formation, implying that courage and disciplined duty are ethical ideals in the epic’s war narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a force of one hundred thousand determined fighters is positioned to defend the leading section of the Śakaṭa (cart-shaped) battle formation, indicating careful organization and a strong defensive screen at the formation’s face.