Shloka 4

शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement

Devanagari script

असौ तिष्ठति कौरव्यो रणमध्ये महाबल: । यत्रैतत्‌ सुमहच्छत्र॑ पूर्णचन्द्रसमप्रभम्‌

Transliteration

asau tiṣṭhati kauravyo raṇamadhye mahābalaḥ | yatraitat sumahac chatraṁ pūrṇacandrasamaprabham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There stands that mighty Kaurava in the very midst of the battle—where his exceedingly great royal parasol shines with the radiance of the full moon.”

Word by Word

• असौ: that (man), he there
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तिष्ठति: stands
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (तिष्ठ)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कौरव्यः: the Kaurava (prince)
• कौरव्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रणमध्ये: in the midst of battle
• रणमध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• महाबलः: very strong, mighty
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• छत्रम्: umbrella, royal parasol
• छत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्णचन्द्रसमप्रभम्: having a radiance like the full moon
• पूर्णचन्द्रसमप्रभम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण-चन्द्र-सम-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaurava (unnamed warrior/leader)
• raṇamadhya (battlefield)
• sumahat chatra (royal parasol)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how outward signs of sovereignty and command (the shining royal parasol) mark a leader even amid chaos; it implicitly contrasts the glamour of power with the stark reality of war, inviting reflection on the ethical weight borne by those who stand at the center of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing to the listener a powerful Kaurava positioned in the thick of battle, identifying his location by the conspicuous, moon-bright royal parasol above him—an emblem that makes the commander visible on the field.