Shloka 24

Devanagari script

परित्रातुं महेष्वासान्‌ मद्रराजपदानुगान्‌ । अन्योन्यं परिरक्षामो यत्नेन महता नूप

Transliteration

paritrātuṁ maheṣvāsān madrarāja-padānugān | anyonyaṁ parirakṣāmo yatnena mahatā nṛpa ||

Translation

Duryodhana said: “O king, to safeguard the great bowmen who follow the command of the king of Madra, let us protect one another with great and vigilant effort.”

Word by Word

• परित्रातुम्: to protect, to rescue
• परित्रातुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्रा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), परस्मैपद-भावार्थ

• महेष्वासान्: great archers
• महेष्वासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मद्रराजपदानुगान्: followers of the Madra-king's path/command
• मद्रराजपदानुगान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद्रराजपदानुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्योन्यम्: each other, mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: true

• परिरक्षामः: we protect (around), we guard
• परिरक्षामः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Indicative, First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: with great (effort)
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Madra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the midst of crisis, leadership emphasizes disciplined mutual protection: safeguarding comrades and maintaining cohesion is presented as the ethical and practical duty of warriors aligned under a commander.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Shalya Parva, Duryodhana urges coordinated defense: the Kaurava fighters, especially those aligned with the Madra king Śalya, should exert themselves to protect one another so their key archers are not overwhelmed.