Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 163

शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host

with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter

Devanagari script

रथादवातरद्‌ वीर: शैलाग्रादिव केसरी । धनुष कट जानेपर रथहीन हुए वीर नकुल हाथमें ढाल-तलवार लेकर पर्वतके शिखरसे उतरनेवाले सिंहके समान रथसे नीचे आ गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rathād avātarad vīraḥ śailāgrād iva kesarī |

Translation

Sañjaya said: The heroic warrior dismounted from his chariot, like a lion descending from a mountain peak. Though deprived of his chariot, he did not abandon courage or duty; taking up sword and shield, he stepped down to continue the fight with steadfast resolve amid the chaos of war.

Word by Word

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अवातरद्: descended
• अवातरद्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शैलाग्रात्: from a mountain-peak
• शैलाग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलाग्र
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• केसरी: a lion
• केसरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसरी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• lion (kesarī)
• mountain peak (śailāgra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when external supports are lost (such as a chariot), a warrior committed to duty does not collapse into fear or confusion; he adapts and continues with courage and steadiness, embodying kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a hero dismounting from his chariot in the midst of battle, compared to a lion coming down from a mountain peak—an image emphasizing fearless readiness to engage on foot.