द्रुपदस्य ततः पौत्रास् त्रय एव विशां पते ॥
चेदयश् च महेष्वासा द्रोणम् एवाभ्ययुर् युधि ॥
तेषां द्रुपदपौत्राणां त्रयाणां निशितैः शरैः ॥
त्रिभिर् द्रोणो ऽहरत् प्राणांस् ते हता न्यपतन् भुवि ॥
ततो द्रोणो ऽजयद् युद्धे चेदिकेकयसृञ्जयान् ॥
मत्स्यांश् चैवाजयत् सर्वान् भारद्वाजो महारथः ॥
ततस् तु द्रुपदः क्रोधाच् छरवर्षम् अवाकिरत् ॥
द्रोणं प्रति महाराज विराटश् चैव संयुगे ॥
drupadasya tataḥ pautrās traya eva viśāṃ pate ||
cedayaś ca maheṣvāsā droṇam evābhyayur yudhi ||
teṣāṃ drupadapautrāṇāṃ trayāṇāṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
tribhir droṇo 'harat prāṇāṃs te hatā nyapatan bhuvi ||
tato droṇo 'jayad yuddhe cedikekayasṛñjayān ||
matsyāṃś caivājayat sarvān bhāradvājo mahārathaḥ ||
tatas tu drupadaḥ krodhāc charavarṣam avākirat ||
droṇaṃ prati mahārāja virāṭaś caiva saṃyuge ||
Thus roaming in battle, utterly unconquerable in battle, [Drona] -- then the grandsons of Drupada, three, O lord of peoples, and the Chedis, great archers, went against Drona in battle. Of those grandsons of Drupada, the three, with sharp arrows -- with three [arrows] Drona took their lives; they, struck down, fell to the ground. Then Drona conquered in battle the Chedis, Kekayas, Srinjayas, and Bharadvaja, the great warrior, conquered all the Matsyas. Then Drupada, from wrath, showered [him] with a rain of arrows.
0d40278913b7 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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With three arrows Drona cuts short three lives of Drupada's grandsons -- the businesslike precision of death. Notable is how the teacher, who once showed mercy, now mows down whole lines. The verse teaches that an unjust command turns even the great into an instrument of slaughter; and one who, out of obedience, has transgressed his own measure of mercy pours blood with terrifying skill -- for mastery given over to wrong is the more dreadful the more perfect it is.