Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 21

Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

मदर्थे प्रतियुद्धयेतां मानाहौँ सत्यसड्रौ । मां वा शल्यो रणे हन्ता त॑ वाहं भद्गमस्तु व:

Transliteration

madarthe pratiyuddhyetāṁ mānārhau satyasaṅgarau | māṁ vā śalyo raṇe hantā taṁ vāhaṁ bhadram astu vaḥ ||

Translation

সঞ্জয় বললেন—আমার জন্য সম্মানের যোগ্য, সত্যপ্রতিজ্ঞ নকুল ও সহদেব রণে তাদের মামার সঙ্গে যুদ্ধ করুক। তারপর হয় শল্য রণক্ষেত্রে আমাকে বধ করবে, নয়তো আমি তাকে বধ করব। তোমাদের মঙ্গল হোক।

Word by Word

• {'madarthe': 'for my sake

• on my account', 'pratiyuddhyetām': 'let the two fight back/engage in battle (dual, optative/imperative sense)', 'mānārhau': 'worthy of honor/respect', 'satya-saṅgarau': 'true to their vow

• steadfast in their pledged combat/resolve (dual)', 'śalyaḥ': 'Śalya (king of Madra), maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva', 'raṇe': 'in battle

• on the battlefield', 'hantā': 'slayer

• will kill', 'tam': 'him', 'aham': 'I', 'bhadram astu vaḥ': 'may there be auspiciousness/welfare for you (plural)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Śalya
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma: honor-bound warriors must uphold their pledged duty even when it demands fighting close kin. Truthfulness to one’s vow and readiness to accept the battle’s outcome are treated as ethical imperatives within the warrior code.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a martial resolve: Nakula and Sahadeva are urged to fight their maternal uncle Śalya for the speaker’s sake, with the stark alternative that either Śalya will kill the speaker in battle or the speaker will kill Śalya—ending with a formal benediction for the listeners’ welfare.