Mahabharata · 7.165.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्य द्रोणो धनुश् छित्त्वा विद्ध्वा चैनं शिलीमुखैः ॥
मर्माण्य् अभ्यहनद् भूयः स व्यथां परमाम् अगात् ॥
ततो भीमो दृढक्रोधो द्रोणस्याश्लिष्य तं रथम् ॥
शनकैर् इव राजेन्द्र द्रोणं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasya droṇo dhanuś chittvā viddhvā cainaṃ śilīmukhaiḥ ||
marmāṇy abhyahanad bhūyaḥ sa vyathāṃ paramām agāt ||
tato bhīmo dṛḍhakrodho droṇasyāśliṣya taṃ ratham ||
śanakair iva rājendra droṇaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्य द्रोणः धनुः छित्त्वाtasya droṇaḥ dhanuḥ chittvāDrona, having cut his bow; Drona, having severed his bow
विद्ध्वा च एनम् शिलीमुखैःviddhvā ca enam śilīmukhaiḥand having pierced him with arrows; and having pierced him with shafts
मर्माणि अभ्यहनत् भूयःmarmāṇi abhyahanat bhūyaḥstruck his vital points again; struck at his vital points once more
सः व्यथाम् परमाम् अगात्saḥ vyathām paramām agāthe fell into extreme distress; he sank into great suffering
ततः भीमः दृढक्रोधःtataḥ bhīmaḥ dṛḍhakrodhaḥthen Bhima, firm in wrath; then Bhima, fixed in anger
द्रोणस्य आश्लिष्य तम् रथम्droṇasya āśliṣya tam rathamhaving drawn Drona's chariot close; having brought that chariot near to Drona
शनकैः इव राजेन्द्रśanakaiḥ iva rājendraas though quietly, O lord of kings; as if softly, O lord of kings
द्रोणम् वचनम् अब्रवीत्droṇam vacanam abravītspoke a word to Drona; said a word to Drona
Translation
Drona, having cut his bow and pierced him with arrows, struck his vital points again; he fell into extreme distress. Then Bhima, firm in wrath, having drawn that chariot close to Drona, as though quietly, O lord of kings, spoke a word to Drona.
Version
7d56070f4ec9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Drona again overcomes Dhrishtadyumna, and now Bhima steps in — not with a weapon but with a word spoken "as though softly." It is telling that in the thick of slaughter it is not a blow but speech that becomes decisive: where force cannot break the teacher, a word aimed at his conscience strikes him. The verse teaches that a word aimed truly at the heart wounds deeper than an arrow; and the preparation for a great turn is made quietly, before the thunder.