Shloka 24

शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12

Devanagari script

युगपत पेततुर्वीरावुभाविन्द्रध्वजाविव । उभयो: सेनयोर्वीरास्तदा हाहाकृतो&$भवन्‌

Transliteration

yugapat petatur vīrāv ubhāv indradhvajāv iva | ubhayoḥ senayor vīrās tadā hāhākṛto 'bhavan |

Translation

قال سنجيا: وفي تلك اللحظة بعينها سقط البطلان معًا، كأنهما رايتا إندرا قد هُوِّيتا إلى الأرض. عندئذٍ أطلق فرسان الجيشين صرخة نواحٍ وندبة، فارتفع العويل في الميدان.

Word by Word

• युगपत्: simultaneously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: युगपत्

• पेततुः: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• वीरौ: two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• इन्द्रध्वजौ: two Indra-banners (banner-poles of Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• सेनयोः: of (the two) armies
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Dual

• वीराः: heroes/warriors
• वीराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• हाहाकृतः: uttering cries of 'hā hā' / lamenting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहाकृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभवन्: became/were
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• two heroes (unnamed in this verse)
• two armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces, implied)
• Indra-dhvaja (Indra’s banner/standard)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the fragility of martial glory: even the mightiest heroes can fall in an instant, and their fall evokes grief on both sides, revealing a shared human cost that transcends factional victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that two prominent warriors fall at the same time, compared to two lofty Indra-banners collapsing; witnessing this, fighters from both armies cry out in lamentation.