Mahabharata · 7.51.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
त्वयि याते महाबाहो संशप्तकबलं प्रति ॥
प्रयत्नम् अकरोत् तीव्रम् आचार्यो ग्रहणे मम ॥
व्याढानीकं वयं द्रोणं वरयामः स्म सर्वशः ॥
प्रतिव्यूह्य रथानीकं यतमानं तथा रणे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
tvayi yāte mahābāho saṃśaptakabalaṃ prati ||
prayatnam akarot tīvram ācāryo grahaṇe mama ||
vyāḍhānīkaṃ vayaṃ droṇaṃ varayāmaḥ sma sarvaśaḥ ||
prativyūhya rathānīkaṃ yatamānaṃ tathā raṇe ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
त्वयि यातेtvayi yātewhen you had gone [set forth]; at your departure
महाबाहोmahābāhoO mighty-armed one; O mighty-armed one
संशप्तकबलम् प्रतिsaṃśaptakabalam pratiagainst the army of the Samshaptakas; upon the host of the Samshaptakas
प्रयत्नम् अकरोत् तीव्रम्prayatnam akarot tīvrammade a fierce effort; made a furious assault
आचार्यःācāryaḥthe teacher [Drona]; the teacher
ग्रहणे ममgrahaṇe mamato seize me [my capture]; to capture me
व्याढानीकम्vyāḍhānīkam[Drona] with his ranks arrayed; with his host arrayed
वयम् द्रोणम्vayam droṇamwe — against Drona; we against Drona
वरयामः स्मvarayāmaḥ smaheld back [restrained]; held back
सर्वशःsarvaśaḥfrom every side [in every way]; from all sides
प्रतिव्यूह्य रथानीकम्prativyūhya rathānīkamforming a counter-array of chariots; opposing him with a formation of chariots
यतमानम्yatamānamstriving [pressing forward]; pressing on [toward his goal]
तथा रणेtathā raṇethus in battle; thus in the fight
Translation
"When you had gone, O mighty-armed one, against the army of the Samshaptakas, the teacher [Drona] made a fierce assault to capture me. Drona, with his ranks arrayed, pressing on in battle, we held back from every side, forming a counter-array of chariots against him."
Version
4d98d6fd2835 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Yudhishthira begins his account with the cause: the sortie of the Samshaptakas drew Arjuna away, and Drona at once "grahaṇe mama prayatnam akarot tīvram", turned a fierce effort toward capturing the king. Thus the enemy's design is revealed: to draw off the protector, so as to strike at the heart of the army. It is telling that the whole calamity grew out of the division of forces — Arjuna was drawn away by a ruse. The verse teaches that evil often begins with separation: having drawn away the strongest, it falls upon those who remain, and so the unity of the protected is dearer than the valor of any one among them.