Shloka 29

Devanagari script

घातयित्वा महीपालानूजुयुद्धानू सहस्रश:

Transliteration

ghātayitvā mahīpālān ṛjuyuddhān sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Sanjaya said: Having caused the death of thousands of kings—men who fought in straightforward, face-to-face combat—(he/they continued on).

Word by Word

• घातयित्वा: having caused to be slain / having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिच् of हन्)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (causative usage), non-finite

• महीपालान्: kings (protectors of the earth)
• महीपालान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• युद्धान्: battles
• युद्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands; in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्
• Form: adverb (शस्-pratyaya)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• kings (mahīpālāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral gravity of warfare: even combatants who follow the code of fair, direct battle (ṛjuyuddha) are destroyed in vast numbers, reminding the listener that adherence to rules does not remove the tragic cost of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, as narrator, reports that thousands of kings—described as straightforward, fair fighters—have been slain, emphasizing the scale and severity of the ongoing conflict in the Shalya Parva battle account.