Shloka 8

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

मद्रराजे हते राजन्‌ योधास्ते प्राद्रवन्‌ू भयात्‌

Transliteration

madrarāje hate rājan yodhās te prādravan bhayāt

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, when the ruler of Madra was slain, your warriors, seized by fear, broke ranks and fled.

Word by Word

• मद्रराजे: in/when the king of Madra
• मद्रराजे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हते: having been slain
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• योधाः: warriors
• योधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राद्रवन्: ran away / fled
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भयात्: from fear / out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Kaurava warriors

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological truth that collective courage often hinges on leadership; when a principal protector falls, fear can eclipse duty, showing how fragile valor becomes when it is not grounded in inner resolve and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after the Madrarāja (Śalya) is killed, the Kaurava warriors panic and flee from the battlefield, indicating a collapse of their formation and morale.