Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 13

शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host

with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter

Devanagari script

अथीैनं छिन्नधन्वानं रुक्मपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:

Transliteration

athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ rukmapuḍkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, when he had been deprived of his bow, they struck him with arrows whose shafts were tipped with gold and whose heads were stone-sharpened.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• छिन्नधन्वानम्: whose bow was cut off
• छिन्नधन्वानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्नधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रुक्मपुड्खैः: with golden-feathered (arrows)
• रुक्मपुड्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्मपुड्ख
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शिलाशितैः: stone-whetted, sharp
• शिलाशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिलाशित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bow (dhanus)
• arrows (with golden shafts and stone-sharpened heads)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights the harsh momentum of war: once combat escalates, even a disarmed opponent may be pursued with lethal intent. It invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct—how martial duty and battlefield ferocity can conflict with ideals of restraint and fairness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior whose bow has been cut, leaving him disarmed; opponents then continue the assault using finely made, sharp arrows—gold-fitted shafts and stone-whetted points—emphasizing the intensity and technical lethality of the fighting.