Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 623

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

हतस्यापचितिं भ्रातुश्निकीर्षय्युद्धदुर्मद: । मारे गये भाईका प्रतिशोध लेनेकी इच्छासे वह रणदुर्मद नरश्रेष्ठ वीर बड़ी उतावलीके साथ उन्हें बहुत-से नाराचोंद्वारा घायल करने लगा

Transliteration

hatasya apacitiṃ bhrātuḥ cikīrṣayā yuddha-durmadaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Driven to avenge his slain brother and inflamed by the pride of battle, that foremost of men, fierce in war, hastened to wound them with many nārāca arrows.

Word by Word

• हतस्य: of the slain (one)
• हतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (√हन्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अपचितिम्: requital, repayment (vengeance)
• अपचितिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपचिति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भ्रातुः: of (his) brother
• भ्रातुः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• चिकीर्षया: with the desire to do (to accomplish)
• चिकीर्षया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिकीर्षा (√कृ, desiderative sense)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• युद्ध-दुर्मदः: battle-maddened, intoxicated with war
• युद्ध-दुर्मदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध + दुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• brother (unnamed in this pāda)
• nārāca arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral tension in war: personal grief and the desire to repay a death (apaciti) can turn into uncontrolled battle-fury (yuddha-durmada), escalating violence. It implicitly warns that vengeance, even when socially framed as duty, can erode restraint and deepen suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior, eager to avenge his slain brother, rushing into combat and striking opponents repeatedly with many nārāca arrows, wounding them in quick succession.