Mahabharata 9.13.27 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 27

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

नामृष्यत्तत्र शैनेय: शत्रोर्विजयमाहवे

Transliteration

na amṛṣyat tatra śaineyaḥ śatror vijayam āhave | dvitīyaṃ dhanuḥ pāṇau gṛhītvā krodhāturo 'bhavat | dvābhyāṃ bāṇābhyāṃ madrarājaṃ vyathayām āsa trībhis tu tasya sārathiṃ vivyādha ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Allí, Śaineya (Sātyaki) no pudo soportar el triunfo del enemigo en la batalla. Preso de ira, tomó otro arco en su mano; con dos flechas hirió al rey de Madra, y con tres más atravesó también al auriga del rey.

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• amṛṣyat: did not endure / could not tolerate
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛṣ
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• tatra: there / in that situation
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra

• śaineyaḥ: Śaineya (Sātyaki, descendant of Śini)
• śaineyaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaineya
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• śatroḥ: of the enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• vijayam: victory
• vijayam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• āhave: in battle
• āhave: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: āhava
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• enemy (śatru)
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• charioteer (sārathi)
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• arrows (bāṇāḥ)
• battle (āhava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intolerance of an opponent’s success can trigger anger-driven retaliation. Ethically, it points to the danger of krodha in war: it narrows judgment and accelerates harm, even when framed within kṣatriya valor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki, unable to bear the enemy’s battlefield success, grabs another bow and immediately counterattacks: he wounds Śalya (the king of Madra) with two arrows and then strikes Śalya’s charioteer with three arrows.