Shloka 553

शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12

Devanagari script

सम्प्रैषयच्छितान्‌ पार्थ: शरानाशीविषोपमान्‌ । नृपश्रेष्ठ) इस प्रकार संग्राममें विचरते हुए राजा शल्यको लक्ष्य करके कुन्तीकुमारने विषधर सर्पोंके समान भयंकर एवं तीखे बाण चलाये

Transliteration

saṃpraiṣayac chitān pārthaḥ śarān āśīviṣopamān | nṛpaśreṣṭhaṃ śalyam uddiśya raṇe sañcarantaṃ kuntīkumāraḥ tīkṣṇān bhīṣaṇān bāṇān mumoca ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, fixing his aim on King Śalya as he moved about the battlefield, discharged sharp and dreadful arrows—like venomous serpents—pressing the combat forward with relentless martial resolve.

Word by Word

• सम्प्रैषयत्: sent forth, discharged
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-इष् (प्रेषणे)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• छितान्: sharp, cut/cleaving
• छितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छित (ppp. of छिद्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषोपमान्: like venomous serpents
• आशीविषोपमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha, Kuntīkumāra)
• Śalya
• arrows (śara/bāṇa)
• venomous serpents (āśīviṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: disciplined focus on one’s appointed duty in war. The serpent-like simile underscores the lethal, consequence-laden nature of violence—power must be wielded with unwavering intent, yet it inevitably carries moral weight and karmic aftermath.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, seeing King Śalya moving in the battle, takes him as his target and releases a volley of keen, terrifying arrows, compared to venomous snakes for their deadly swiftness and bite.