Mahabharata · 7.7.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
तन्वता परमास्त्राणि शरान् सततम् अस्यता ॥
द्रोणेन विहितं दिक्षु बाणजालम् अदृश्यत ॥
पदातिषु रथाश्वेषु वारणेषु च सर्वशः ॥
तस्य विद्युद् इवाभ्रेषु चरन् केतुर् अदृश्यत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tanvatā paramāstrāṇi śarān satatam asyatā ||
droṇena vihitaṃ dikṣu bāṇajālam adṛśyata ||
padātiṣu rathāśveṣu vāraṇeṣu ca sarvaśaḥ ||
tasya vidyud ivābhreṣu caran ketur adṛśyata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तन्वताtanvatāstretching [extending]; [Drona,] drawing
परमास्त्राणिparamāstrāṇithe supreme weapons; the highest spells
शरान्śarānarrows; [war] arrows
सततम्satatamceaselessly; unceasingly
अस्यताasyatāhurling; [Drona,] releasing
द्रोणेनdroṇenaby Drona; [by] Drona himself
विहितम्vihitamwoven [fashioned]; wrought
दिक्षुdikṣuin the directions; in [all] directions
बाणजालम्bāṇajālama net of arrows; [a solid] web of arrows
अदृश्यतadṛśyatawas seen [visible]; appeared to view
पदातिषुpadātiṣuamong the infantry; upon the foot soldiers
रथाश्वेषुrathāśveṣuamong chariots and horses; upon chariots and horses
वारणेषुvāraṇeṣuamong elephants; upon elephants
चcaand; also
सर्वशःsarvaśaḥeverywhere; on all sides
तस्यtasyahis; [of] him
विद्युत्vidyutlightning; [like] a flash
इवivalike; as
अभ्रेषुabhreṣuin the clouds; among the clouds
चरन्caranmoving [flickering]; darting
केतुःketuḥbanner; standard
अदृश्यतadṛśyatawas seen [visible]; appeared to view
Translation
By Drona, ceaselessly drawing the supreme weapons and unceasingly hurling arrows, a net of arrows was woven in [every] direction, visible to the eye. Among the infantry, chariots and horses, and among the elephants everywhere, his banner was seen, darting like lightning in the clouds.
Version
8390d4dd5014 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The "net of arrows," woven in every direction, shows how skill carried to its limit turns the very air into a deadly fabric: Drona's gift, so wondrous, serves here to weave destruction. His banner, "like lightning in the clouds," flickers everywhere — an image of an omnipresent threat, yet also of brevity: lightning is bright but fleeting. Thus his terrible greatness is revealed at once in its irresistibility and in its transience. The verse teaches that supreme mastery given over to slaughter weaves a net of death out of the very air; that the destroyer's omnipresence terrifies yet, like lightning, does not endure; and that the gleam flickering amid the clouds of war fades as swiftly as it flashes.