Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शल्यपुत्रस्तु विक्रान्त: सहदेवेन मारिष । हतो रुक्मरथो राजन्‌ भ्राता मातुलजो युधि,माननीय नरेश! शल्यका पराक्रमी पुत्र रुक्मरथ, जो सहदेवका ममेरा भाई था, युद्धमें सहदेवके ही हाथसे मारा गया

Transliteration

śalyaputrastu vikrāntaḥ sahadevena māriṣa | hato rukmaratho rājan bhrātā mātulajo yudhi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O venerable one, Śalya’s valiant son Rukmaratha—who was Sahadeva’s maternal cousin—was slain in battle by Sahadeva himself. The report underscores how the war’s duty-bound violence cuts through even bonds of kinship, as warriors meet one another as opponents on the field.

Word by Word

शल्यपुत्रःthe son of Shalya

तुbut/indeed

विक्रान्तःvaliant, mighty

सहदेवेनby Sahadeva

मारिषO venerable one (sir)

हतःwas slain

रुक्मरथःRukmaratha

राजन्O king

भ्राताbrother

मातुलजःmaternal cousin (uncle’s son)

युधिin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śalya

Rukmaratha

Sahadeva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of dharma in war: even close kin may be compelled to fight and kill when aligned on opposing sides, showing how duty and allegiance can override familial bonds in a righteous-but-tragic conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Rukmaratha, the brave son of Śalya and Sahadeva’s maternal cousin, has been slain on the battlefield by Sahadeva.