Mahabharata · 7.45.6–7
॥
Devanāgarī
तान् प्रभग्नांस् तथा दृष्ट्वा द्रोणो द्रौणिर् बृहद्बलः ॥
कृपो दुर्योधनः कर्णः कृतवर्माथ सौबलः ॥
अभिद्रुताः सुसंक्रुद्धाः सौभद्रम् अपराजितम् ॥
ते ऽपि पौत्रेण ते राजन् प्रायशो विमुखीकृताः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tān prabhagnāṃs tathā dṛṣṭvā droṇo drauṇir bṛhadbalaḥ ||
kṛpo duryodhanaḥ karṇaḥ kṛtavarmātha saubalaḥ ||
abhidrutāḥ susaṃkruddhāḥ saubhadram aparājitam ||
te 'pi pautreṇa te rājan prāyaśo vimukhīkṛtāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तान्tānthem; them
प्रभग्नान्prabhagnānbroken [routed]; routed
तथाtathāthus [so]; thus
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; seeing
द्रोणःdroṇaḥDrona; Drona
द्रौणिःdrauṇiḥthe son of Drona [Ashvatthaman]; the son of Drona
बृहद्बलःbṛhadbalaḥBrihadbala; Brihadbala
कृपःkṛpaḥKripa; Kripa
दुर्योधनःduryodhanaḥDuryodhana; Duryodhana
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; Karna
कृतवर्माkṛtavarmāKritavarman; Kritavarman
अथathaand [also]; and
सौबलःsaubalaḥthe son of Subala [Shakuni]; the son of Subala
अभिद्रुताःabhidrutāḥrushed [charged]; charged
सुसंक्रुद्धाःsusaṃkruddhāḥutterly enraged; utterly enraged
सौभद्रम्saubhadram[at] the son of Subhadra [Abhimanyu]; [at] Abhimanyu
अपराजितम्aparājitamunconquered [invincible]; invincible
तेtethey; they
अपिapiindeed [too]; and
पौत्रेणpautreṇa[by your] grandson [Abhimanyu]; [by your] grandson
तेteyour; —
राजन्rājano king; o king
प्रायशःprāyaśaḥfor the most part [almost]; almost all
विमुखीकृताःvimukhīkṛtāḥturned back [driven off]; turned back
Translation
Seeing them thus routed, Drona, the son of Drona, Brihadbala, Kripa, Duryodhana, Karna, Kritavarman, and the son of Subala, utterly enraged, charged at the invincible son of Subhadra. But they too, o king, were almost all turned back by [your] grandson.
Version
972dc72e0f2b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The very flower of the enemy camp — Drona, Karna, Kripa, Ashvatthaman, and the rest — rushes upon the boy, and "almost all are turned back" by one single child. This shows the measure of his valor: not ordinary men but the most formidable of the formidable retreat before him. It is telling that the tradition does not tire of repeating this — the boy's supremacy over the whole assembly of the foremost warriors. The verse teaches that there is a valor before which even the greatest retreat, and their numbers avail nothing; that one in whom gift and righteousness are joined can turn back an entire council of heroes; and that the tradition, again and again showing the foremost warriors fleeing before the boy, prepares the heart to feel more sharply the monstrousness of his coming death — for no one has honestly overcome him, and he will fall only through combined lawlessness.