Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

भीमसेनस्तु राजानं गदापाणिरवारयत्‌ | शल्यं तु सह सैन्येन कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर:

Transliteration

bhīmasenas tu rājānaṃ gadāpāṇir avārayat | śalyaṃ tu saha sainyena kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Bhīmasena, mace in hand, checked the king’s advance. And Kuntī’s son Yudhiṣṭhira, for his part, held back Śalya along with his forces.

Word by Word

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गदापाणिः: mace-in-hand (mace-bearer)
• गदापाणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदापाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अवारयत्: checked/stopped/warded off
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• शल्यम्: Shalya
• शल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• सैन्येन: with the army
• सैन्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कुन्तीपुत्रः: Kunti's son
• कुन्तीपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्तीपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śalya
• gadā (mace)
• sainya (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the battlefield setting, the verse highlights duty-oriented restraint and protection: leaders and warriors act to check destructive momentum, meeting force with disciplined opposition as required by kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports simultaneous engagements: Bhīma, wielding his mace, blocks the advance of the king, while Yudhiṣṭhira confronts and holds back Śalya together with his troops.