Mahabharata 9.5.35 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 5, Shloka 35

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा तु विविधान्‌ भोगान्‌ प्राप्तानां परमां गतिम्‌ । अपीदानीं सुयुद्धेन गच्छेयं यत्सलोकताम्‌

Transliteration

tyaktvā tu vividhān bhogān prāptānāṃ paramāṃ gatim | apīdānīṃ suyuddhena gaccheyaṃ yatsalokatām ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Nachdem sie die mannigfachen Genüsse aufgegeben haben, haben jene Männer den höchsten Zustand erlangt. Nun, durch eine edle Schlacht, möge auch ich in ihre Welt gelangen.“

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-भावार्थक

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

• विविधान्: various
• विविधान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भोगान्: enjoyments/pleasures
• भोगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्राप्तानाम्: of those who have attained
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: state/goal/destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• इदानीम्: now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम्

• सुयुद्धेन: by good/fair fighting; by a noble battle
• सुयुद्धेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयुद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• गच्छेयम्: may I go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: so that/that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्
• Form: conjunctive particle (yad = so that/that)

• सलोकताम्: the state of being in the same world (as them)
• सलोकताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलोकता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links renunciation of sensual pleasures with attaining the highest destiny, and frames a 'good battle' as a potential dharmic means to reach the same exalted realm—highlighting the epic’s ethic that inner detachment and righteous intent determine the spiritual fruit of action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the events, voices a wish: seeing that some have reached the supreme state by giving up worldly enjoyments, he expresses the desire that, by engaging in a noble fight, he too might attain their world—reflecting the war’s moral and existential stakes.