Shloka 25

Devanagari script

शलभानामिव व्राताञ्शरब्रातान्‌ महारथ: । रथोपगान्‌ समीक्ष्यैवं विव्यथे नैव सौबल:,इति श्रीमहा भारते कर्णपर्वणि सुतसोमसौबलयुद्धे पजचरविंशो 5ध्याय:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śalabhānām iva vrātān śaravrātān mahārathaḥ | rathopagān samīkṣyaivaṁ vivyathe naiva saubalaḥ ||

Translation

সঞ্জয়ে ক’লে—পঙ্গপালৰ জাকৰ দৰে ৰথৰ ফালে ধাৱমান শৰৰ ঘন গুচ্ছ দেখি থাকিলেও সৌবল (শকুনি) একেবাৰে বিচলিত নহ’ল। ইতি শ্রীমহাভারতে কৰ্ণপৰ্বণি সুতসোম-সৌবলযুদ্ধে চতুৰ্বিংশোऽধ্যায়ঃ।

Word by Word

शलभानाम्of locusts

इवlike/as

व्रातान्swarms/groups

शर-व्रातान्swarms of arrows

महा-रथःthe great chariot-warrior

रथ-उपगान्those who had approached the chariot / chariot-attendants (near the chariot)

समीक्ष्यhaving looked at/observed

एवम्thus/in this manner

विव्यथेwas distressed/was shaken

नnot

एवindeed/just

सौबलःSaubala (son of Subala; Shakuni/one of the Saubalas)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Saubala (Śakuni)

mahārathaḥ (great chariot-warrior, contextually Sutasoma)

ratha (chariot)

śara (arrows)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ideal of dhairya (steadfast courage): even when faced with overwhelming danger—arrows like a locust-swarm—a warrior is expected not to lose composure. It also implicitly points to the tragic intensity of war, where virtue is measured by endurance amid destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a moment in the Sutasoma–Saubala combat: volleys of arrows surge toward the chariot in great numbers. Despite the threatening barrage, Saubala (Śakuni) remains unshaken, indicating his resolve in the duel.