Mahabharata 9.13.45 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 45

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

मद्रराजेन बलिना लाघवाच्छरवृश्टिभि: । चाल्यमान तु तं॑ दृष्टवा पाण्डवानां बलार्णवम्‌

Transliteration

madrarājena balinā lāghavāc charavṛṣṭibhiḥ | cālyamānaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavānāṃ balārṇavam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als er sah, wie der mächtige König von Madra mit flinker Kunst Pfeilschauer herabregnen ließ und damit jenes weite Meer der Pāṇḍava-Heere erschütterte,—

Word by Word

• मद्रराजेन: by the king of Madra
• मद्रराजेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• बलिना: by the strong (one)
• बलिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• लाघवात्: from/owing to swiftness
• लाघवात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाघव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• शरवृष्टिभिः: with showers of arrows
• शरवृष्टिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• चाल्यमानम्: being shaken/made to reel
• चाल्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: चाल्यमान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• बलार्णवम्: the ocean of (their) army/strength
• बलार्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलार्णव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Madra
• Pāṇḍavas
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield frame: disciplined skill (lāghava) and steadfast leadership can momentarily shake even a vast force; power is shown not only by numbers but by focused prowess and resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śalya, king of Madra, striking with rapid volleys of arrows. His assault causes the immense Pāṇḍava host—likened to an ocean—to waver and be thrown into motion under the pressure of his attack.