Mahabharata 9.21.5 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 5

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

तत्राश्चर्यम भूद्‌ युद्धे सात्वतस्य परैः सह । यदेको वारयामास पाण्डुसेनां दुरासदाम्‌

Transliteration

tatrāścaryaṁ bhūd yuddhe sātvatasyaparaiḥ saha | yad eko vārayāmāsa pāṇḍusenāṁ durāsadām ||

Translation

قال سَنجايا: وفي تلك المعركة وقع أمرٌ عجيب في قتال بطل الساتڤتا مع خصومه: إذ إنه وحده صدَّ جيش الباندڤا المنيع، عسيرَ الملاقاة.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अभूत्: was, occurred
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 3rd, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सात्वतस्य: of the Sātvata (Krishna)
• सात्वतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• परैः: with/against the foes
• परैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• यत्: that (namely), since/when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वारयामास: held back, restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, Singular

• पाण्डुसेनाम्: the Pāṇḍava army
• पाण्डुसेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसेना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दुरासदाम्: hard to assail/approach
• दुरासदाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātvata (a Vṛṣṇi/Yādava hero)
• Pāṇḍava army (Pāṇḍusenā)
• battle/war (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary individual valor can arrest even a powerful collective force, inviting reflection on the paradox of war: admiration for prowess arises even when the broader conflict carries heavy ethical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an astonishing event occurred: a Sātvata hero, fighting amid enemies, single-handedly checked the advance of the formidable Pāṇḍava army.