Mahabharata · 7.70.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
यं यम् आर्छच् छरैर् द्रोणः पाण्डवानां रथव्रजम् ॥
ततस् ततः शरैर् द्रोणम् अपाकर्षत पार्षतः ॥
तथा तु यतमानस्य द्रोणस्य युधि भारत ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नं समासाद्य त्रिधा सैन्यम् अभिद्यत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yaṃ yam ārchac charair droṇaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ rathavrajam ||
tatas tataḥ śarair droṇam apākarṣata pārṣataḥ ||
tathā tu yatamānasya droṇasya yudhi bhārata ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ samāsādya tridhā sainyam abhidyata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यम् यम् आर्छत् शरैः द्रोणःyam yam ārchat śaraiḥ droṇaḥwhatever [rank] Drona pursued with arrows; whatever rank Drona pursued with arrows
पाण्डवानाम् रथव्रजम्pāṇḍavānām rathavrajamof the chariot host of the Pandavas; of the chariot host of the Pandavas
ततः ततः शरैः द्रोणम्tataḥ tataḥ śaraiḥ droṇamfrom there, with arrows, Drona; from there, with arrows, Drona
अपाकर्षत पार्षतःapākarṣata pārṣataḥParshata drew away; Parshata drew away
तथा तु यतमानस्यtathā tu yatamānasyathus, of him striving; thus, of him striving
द्रोणस्य युधि भारतdroṇasya yudhi bhārataof Drona, in battle, O Bharata; of Drona, in battle, O Bharata
धृष्टद्युम्नम् समासाद्यdhṛṣṭadyumnam samāsādyahaving engaged Dhrishtadyumna; having engaged Dhrishtadyumna
त्रिधा सैन्यम् अभिद्यतtridhā sainyam abhidyatathe army split into three; the army split into three
Translation
Whatever rank of the Pandava chariot host Drona pursued with his arrows, from there Parshata drew Drona away with arrows. Thus, though Drona strove in battle, O Bharata, upon engaging Dhrishtadyumna, the army split into three.
Version
03bdd58bf287 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhrishtadyumna skillfully 'apākarṣata,' draws Drona away, hindering him from finishing off the Pandavas. Not by strength alone but by strategy does he hold the teacher back. It is telling that the result is 'tridhā sainyam abhidyata,' the army split into three: a breaking of formation. The verse teaches that in a struggle against the mightiest, what matters is not strength alone but the skill to distract and disrupt: by binding the opponent's attention, one can shatter his order; and victory over the mighty is won not by frontal assault but by the deft undoing of his design.