Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अभीषाहा: शूरसेना: शिबयो5थ वसातय: । शाल्वा: शकाल्त्रिगर्ताश्न॒ अम्बष्ठा: केकयै: सह

Transliteration

abhīṣāhāḥ śūrasenāḥ śibayo 'tha vasātayaḥ | śālvāḥ śakāḥ trigartāś ca ambaṣṭhāḥ kekayaiḥ saha ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There were also the Abhīṣāhas, the Śūrasenas, the Śibis, and the Vasātayas; the Śālvas, the Śakas, and the Trigartas; and the Ambaṣṭhas together with the Kekayas.”

Word by Word

• अभीषाहाः: the Abhishahas (a people/tribe)
• अभीषाहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीषाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूरसेनाः: the Shurasenas
• शूरसेनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूरसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिबयः: the Shibis
• शिबयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वसातयः: the Vasatis/Vasatayas (a people/tribe)
• वसातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसाति/वसातय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शाल्वाः: the Shalvas
• शाल्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शकाः: the Shakas
• शकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्रिगर्ताः: the Trigartas
• त्रिगर्ताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिगर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अम्बष्ठाः: the Ambasthas
• अम्बष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केकयैः: with the Kekayas
• केकयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Abhīṣāhas
• Śūrasenas
• Śibis
• Vasātayas
• Śālvas
• Śakas
• Trigartas
• Ambaṣṭhas
• Kekayas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse’s ethical force lies in its scale: many peoples unite for battle, implying that when rulers choose adharma, the harm spreads beyond one court or one family. The catalogue format makes the war feel collective and consequential, urging reflection on responsibility and the cost of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya continues describing the assembled warriors and allied peoples present in the Kurukṣetra conflict, listing additional tribes/kingdoms who have joined the war coalition.