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Mahabharata · 7.66.31–32
॥
Санджая
Devanāgarī
ततः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा द्रोणं प्रायान् महाभुजः ॥
परिवृत्तश् च बीभत्सुर् अगच्छद् विसृजञ् शरान् ॥
ततो ऽब्रवीत् स्मयन् द्रोणः क्वेदं पाण्डव गम्यते ॥
ननु नाम रणे शत्रुम् अजित्वा न निवर्तसे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā droṇaṃ prāyān mahābhujaḥ ||
parivṛttaś ca bībhatsur agacchad visṛjañ śarān ||
tato 'bravīt smayan droṇaḥ kvedaṃ pāṇḍava gamyate ||
nanu nāma raṇe śatrum ajitvā na nivartase ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः प्रदक्षिणम् कृत्वाtataḥ pradakṣiṇam kṛtvāthen, having circumambulated [clockwise]; then, having gone around him sunwise
द्रोणम् प्रायात् महाभुजःdroṇam prāyāt mahābhujaḥDroṇa, the mighty-armed one moved on; Droṇa, the mighty-armed one moved on
परिवृत्तः च बीभत्सुःparivṛttaḥ ca bībhatsuḥand, having gone around, Bibhatsu; and, having gone around [him], Bibhatsu
अगच्छत् विसृजन् शरान्agacchat visṛjan śarānwent on, releasing arrows; went on, loosing arrows
ततः अब्रवीत् स्मयन् द्रोणःtataḥ abravīt smayan droṇaḥthen Droṇa said, smiling; then Droṇa spoke, smiling
क्व इदम् पाण्डव गम्यतेkva idam pāṇḍava gamyate"where are you going, Pāṇḍava?"; "where are you going, Pāṇḍava?"
ननु नाम रणे शत्रुम्nanu nāma raṇe śatrumis it not [true] that in battle, the enemy; is it not so, that in battle, an enemy
अजित्वा न निवर्तसेajitvā na nivartasewithout conquering, you do not retreat; without conquering, do you not retreat?
Translation
Then, having circled Droṇa in reverence, the mighty-armed one moved on; and having gone around him, Bibhatsu went on, releasing arrows. Then Droṇa said, smiling: "Where are you going, Pāṇḍava? Is it not true that in battle you do not retreat from an enemy without conquering him?"
Version
7d57500a62fb · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Even while going around his teacher in battle, Arjuna performs "pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā" — the rite of circumambulation, a gesture of reverence. He can only leave the guru's presence by first honoring him. And Droṇa answers "smayan," smiling, with the sly tenderness of one who tests. It is telling that even a maneuver in war is clothed in a rite of respect. The verse teaches that reverence for one worthy of it pervades every act of the faithful: even in withdrawing from or going around the teacher, he honors him through the very manner of his passing; and the bond of guru and disciple reveals itself not in words alone but in the shape of the movement itself — a bow woven into a maneuver of war.