Mahabharata · 7.70.31–32
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् पच्यमानम् अर्केण द्रोणसायकतापितम् ॥
बभ्राम पार्षतं सैन्यं तत्र तत्रैव भारत ॥
तथैव पार्षतेनापि काल्यमानं बलं तव ॥
अभवत् सर्वतो दीप्तं शुष्कं वनम् इवाग्निना ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tat pacyamānam arkeṇa droṇasāyakatāpitam ||
babhrāma pārṣataṃ sainyaṃ tatra tatraiva bhārata ||
tathaiva pārṣatenāpi kālyamānaṃ balaṃ tava ||
abhavat sarvato dīptaṃ śuṣkaṃ vanam ivāgninā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् पच्यमानम् अर्केणtat pacyamānam arkeṇathat army, scorched by the sun; that army, scorched by the sun
द्रोणसायकतापितम्droṇasāyakatāpitamseared by Drona's arrows; seared by Drona's arrows
बभ्राम पार्षतम् सैन्यम्babhrāma pārṣatam sainyamreeled — the army of Parshata; reeled — the army of Parshata
तत्र तत्र एव भारतtatra tatra eva bhāratahere and there, O Bharata; here and there, O Bharata
तथा एव पार्षतेन अपिtathā eva pārṣatena apiso too, by Parshata; so too, by Parshata
काल्यमानम् बलम् तवkālyamānam balam tavadriven, your army; driven, your army
अभवत् सर्वतः दीप्तम्abhavat sarvataḥ dīptambecame blazing on every side; became blazing on every side
शुष्कम् वनम् इव अग्निनाśuṣkam vanam iva agninālike a dry forest by fire; like a dry forest by fire
Translation
That army, scorched by the sun and seared by Drona's arrows, reeled here and there — the army of Parshata, O Bharata. So too your army, driven by Parshata, became blazing on every side, like a dry forest set aflame.
Version
0182283f58f9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Both armies burn like dry forest: Drona scorches the Pandavas, Dhrishtadyumna the Kauravas. It is a mirrored symmetry of ruin. It is telling that the poet flatters neither side — both burn. The verse teaches that in a fratricidal war there is no single suffering party: the fire devours both Kauravas and Pandavas alike; the mutual destruction of kinsmen is no one's triumph but a shared conflagration in which the whole line burns away, leaving only ash on both sides.