Shloka 2936

रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield

Devanagari script

शल्यस्य वाहिनीं हन्तुमभिदुद्रुवुराहवे । (उन तीनोंके अध्यक्ष थे--) धृष्टद्युम्न, शिखण्डी और महारथी सात्यकि। इन लोगोंने युद्धस्थलमें शल्यकी सेनाका वध करनेके लिये उसपर धावा बोल दिया

Transliteration

śalyasya vāhinīṁ hantum abhidudruvur āhave |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Mitten im Kampf stürmten sie heran, um Śalyas Heer zu vernichten. Angeführt von Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī und dem großen Wagenkämpfer Sātyaki, eröffneten sie einen heftigen Angriff auf Śalyas Streitmacht.“

Word by Word

• शल्यस्य: of Shalya
• शल्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वाहिनीम्: army
• वाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• अभिदुद्रुवुः: they rushed/charged (towards)
• अभिदुद्रुवुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Sātyaki
• Śalya’s army (vāhinī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: leaders must act decisively to protect their side and fulfill their wartime duty, even when the means involve destruction. It reflects the epic’s ethical tension—pursuit of a righteous end amid morally weighty violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battle, the Pandava-aligned commanders—Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, and Sātyaki—charge forward to strike down Śalya’s military host, initiating a concentrated attack on Śalya’s forces.