Shloka 50

Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall

Devanagari script

स्वस््रीयाभ्यां नरव्याप्रो नाकम्पत यथाचल: । प्रहसन्निव तां चापि शस्त्रवृष्टिं जघान ह

Transliteration

sa-srīyābhyāṁ naravyāpro nākampata yathācalaḥ | prahasann iva tāṁ cāpi śastravṛṣṭiṁ jaghāna ha ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Obwohl Śalya von unzähligen Pfeilen mit gekrümmten Gelenken bedeckt wurde, die die Söhne seiner Schwester abschossen, stand er, der Vornehmste der Männer, fest wie ein Berg, ohne zu beben oder sich zu rühren. Als lächle er, zerschmetterte er jenen Waffenregen selbst.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'sa-srīyābhyām': 'by the sons of his sister (i.e., sister’s sons

• here the attackers)', 'nara-vyāghraḥ / nara-vyāpro': 'tiger among men

• a foremost warrior', 'na akampata': 'did not tremble

• was not shaken', 'yathā acalaḥ': 'like a mountain

• immovable', 'prahāsan iva': 'as if laughing/smiling

• with effortless confidence', 'tām': 'that (weapon-shower)', 'śastra-vṛṣṭim': 'a rain/shower of weapons', 'jaghāna': 'struck down

• repelled', 'ha': 'indeed (emphatic particle)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• sister’s sons (mātula-putrāḥ; implied attackers)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• weapon-shower (śastravṛṣṭi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness under pressure: a warrior grounded in resolve does not waver even when overwhelmed. Ethically, it reflects the ideal of kṣatriya-dharma—courage, composure, and effective action without panic amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battle scene narrated by Sañjaya, Śalya is showered with numerous arrows shot by his sister’s sons. Despite being covered by missiles, he remains unmoved like a mountain and counters so effectively that he breaks and nullifies the incoming weapon-rain.