Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 31

Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

तस्य शल्य: शरं घोरं मुमोचाशीविषोपमम्‌

Transliteration

tasya śalyaḥ śaraṃ ghoraṃ mumocāśīviṣopamam

Translation

সঞ্জয়ে ক’লে—তেতিয়া শল্যই বিষধৰ সাপৰ দৰে এক ভয়ংকৰ বাণ তেওঁৰ ওপৰত নিক্ষেপ কৰিলে।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शल्यः: Shalya
• शल्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरम्: arrow
• शरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मुमोच: released, let fly
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आशीविषोपमम्: like a venomous serpent
• आशीविषोपमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• arrow (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, human agency and martial skill can become instruments of fear and destruction; the serpent-simile emphasizes the ethical gravity of violence and the peril unleashed when conflict escalates beyond restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Śalya shoots a terrifying arrow at his opponent; the arrow is compared to a venomous snake to convey its deadly speed and lethal intent in the ongoing battle.