Shloka 2

Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

पीडितास्तावका: सर्वे प्रधावन्तो रणोत्कटा: । क्षणेन चैव पार्थास्ति बहुत्वातू समलोडयन्‌,युद्धके लिये उन्मत्त रहनेवाले आपके सभी योद्धा यद्यपि पीड़ित हो रहे थे, तथापि संख्यामें अधिक होनेके कारण उन सबने धावा बोलकर क्षणभरमें पाण्डव-योद्धाओंको मथ डाला

Transliteration

pīḍitās tāvakāḥ sarve pradhāvanto raṇotkaṭāḥ | kṣaṇena caiva pārthāṃs tu bahutvāt samaloḍayan ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Though your warriors were hard-pressed and suffering, they—fierce and battle-maddened—charged forward; and by sheer superiority of numbers they quickly overwhelmed the Pāṇḍava fighters.

Word by Word

पीडिताःafflicted, distressed

तावकाःyour men (your side's warriors)

सर्वेall

प्रधावन्तःrushing forward, charging

रणोत्कटाःfierce in battle

क्षणेनin a moment, within an instant

चand

एवindeed, just

पार्थान्the sons of Pritha; the Pandavas (their men)

अतिexcessively, greatly

बहुत्वात्because of (their) greater number; from numerical superiority

समलोडयन्crushing, churning up, overwhelming

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kaurava warriors (tāvakāḥ)

Pāṇḍava warriors (pārthāḥ)

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 a recurring Mahābhārata insight: in warfare, outcomes can be driven by material factors like numbers and momentum, even when fighters are themselves strained. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical cost of pressing an advantage through sheer force rather than restraint or righteous purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops, though suffering, surged forward with battle-fury and, because they were more numerous, rapidly overpowered and threw the Pāṇḍava fighters into disarray.