Mahabharata 7.97.22 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 97, Shloka 22

शैनेयचरितम्

The Exploits of Śaineya/Sātyaki amid Encirclement

Devanagari script

संघट्टयति सैन्यानि द्रोणस्तु रथिनां वर: । व्यधमच्चापि तान्यस्य धृष्टद्युम्नो महारथ:

Transliteration

saṅghaṭṭayati sainyāni droṇas tu rathināṃ varaḥ | vyadhamac cāpi tāny asya dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：德罗那，车战之雄，屡次整顿军阵，使诸军合为队列；然而大车战士持利什杜尤姆那却不断击碎并驱散那些军队。

Word by Word

• संघट्टयति: organizes / brings together
• Type: Verb
• Root: संघट्टय् (caus. of संघट्ट्)
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सैन्यानि: armies / troops
• सैन्यानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• तु: but / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रथिनाम्: of chariot-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वरः: best / excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यधमत्: scattered / dispersed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धमन्
• Form: Lan (Imperfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• तानि: those (troops)
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अस्य: of him (i.e., Drona)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Drona
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• armies/troops
• chariot-warriors (rathin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest skill in imposing order (Drona’s regrouping) can be met by equally formidable force that disrupts it (Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s breaking of formations). The verse underscores the instability of power in war and the ethical tension of duty performed through violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the battlefield, Drona repeatedly consolidates his forces into organized formations, while Dhṛṣṭadyumna repeatedly attacks and disperses those formations, preventing Drona’s army from maintaining cohesion.