Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 55

अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

शृण्वन्तु क्षत्रिया: सर्वे यावन्तो5त्र समागता:

Transliteration

śṛṇvantu kṣatriyāḥ sarve yāvanto 'tra samāgatāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Let all the kṣatriyas who have assembled here listen.” The line functions as a formal summons, calling the warrior assembly to attentive hearing before a consequential statement or decision in the unfolding war narrative.

Word by Word

• शृण्वन्तु: let (them) hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (शृणोति)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 3rd, plural, परस्मैपदम्

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas, warriors
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• यावन्तः: as many as, whoever (as many as are present)
• यावन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• समागताः: assembled, gathered
• समागताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (गच्छति)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• kṣatriyas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, rightful action depends on attentive hearing and orderly counsel: leaders and warriors are summoned to listen before judgments are made, reflecting the kṣatriya duty to act with awareness rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya introduces a public address by calling the assembled warriors to attention, signaling that an important announcement or instruction is about to be delivered within the Shalya Parva war setting.