Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 17

अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन

Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault

Devanagari script

धार्रराष्ट्रा हि राजेन्द्र योधास्तु स्वल्पमन्तरम्‌

Transliteration

dhārtarāṣṭrā hi rājendra yodhās tu svalpam antaram

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O best of kings, the Dhārtarāṣṭra warriors were separated only by a small distance.”

Word by Word

• धार्तराष्ट्राः: the Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons/men of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• धार्तराष्ट्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

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

• स्वल्पम्: a little/short
• स्वल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तरम्: interval/gap
• अन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhārtarāṣṭra warriors (Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how quickly conflict escalates when opposing forces stand close—small physical distance mirrors the narrowing moral and strategic space for restraint, making vigilance and wise counsel crucial in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) fighters are positioned with only a slight gap—signaling an imminent clash and heightening the urgency of the battlefield situation.