Mahabharata · 7.45.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो द्रोणः कृपः कर्णो द्रोणपुत्रो बृहद्बलः ॥
कृतवर्मा च हार्दिक्यः षड् रथाः पर्यवारयन् ॥
स तान् विद्ध्वा शितैर् बाणैर् विमुखीकृत्य चार्जुनिः ॥
वेगेनाभ्यपतत् क्रुद्धः सैन्धवस्य महद् बलम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇo droṇaputro bṛhadbalaḥ ||
kṛtavarmā ca hārdikyaḥ ṣaḍ rathāḥ paryavārayan ||
sa tān viddhvā śitair bāṇair vimukhīkṛtya cārjuniḥ ||
vegenābhyapatat kruddhaḥ saindhavasya mahad balam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततःtataḥthen; then
द्रोणःdroṇaḥDrona; Drona
कृपःkṛpaḥKripa; Kripa
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; Karna
द्रोणपुत्रःdroṇaputraḥthe son of Drona [Ashvatthaman]; the son of Drona
बृहद्बलःbṛhadbalaḥBrihadbala; Brihadbala
कृतवर्माkṛtavarmāKritavarman; Kritavarman
चcaand; —
हार्दिक्यःhārdikyaḥthe son of Hridika [Kritavarman]; the son of Hridika
षट्ṣaṭsix; six
रथाःrathāḥchariot-warriors; chariot warriors
पर्यवारयन्paryavārayansurrounded [encircled]; surrounded
सःsaḥhe [Abhimanyu]; he
तान्tānthem; them
विद्ध्वाviddhvāhaving pierced [wounded]; having wounded
शितैः बाणैःśitaiḥ bāṇaiḥwith sharp arrows; with sharp arrows
विमुखीकृत्यvimukhīkṛtyahaving turned back [driven off]; having turned back
चcaand; —
आर्जुनिःārjuniḥthe son of Arjuna [Abhimanyu]; the son of Arjuna
वेगेनvegenaswiftly [with force]; swiftly
अभ्यपतत्abhyapatatfell upon [charged]; charged
क्रुद्धःkruddhaḥenraged; [in] rage
सैन्धवस्यsaindhavasyaof the Sindhi [Jayadratha]; of the Sindhi king
महत् बलम्mahat balam[at] the great army; [at] the great army
Translation
Then Drona, Kripa, Karna, the son of Drona, Brihadbala, and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika — six chariot warriors — surrounded him. Having wounded them with sharp arrows and turned them back, the son of Arjuna, in rage, swiftly charged at the great army of the Sindhi king.
Version
e7fb4d763553 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Six of the foremost warriors surround the boy — and he, having wounded them, turns them back and presses on further, toward Jayadratha. It is telling that the boy strains precisely toward the Sindhi king — toward the very barrier that cut him off from his own: he seeks to break the obstacle, understanding the root of his entrapment. The verse teaches that even surrounded by six of the most formidable, the valiant one does not merely defend but breaks through toward the main goal; that a wise warrior strikes at the root of the trouble, not at incidental foes; and that Abhimanyu, tearing through enemies toward Jayadratha's very barrier, shows sound instinct — but that barrier, guarded by Shiva's boon, is beyond his strength, and in this very drive toward it his doom is already foreshadowed.