Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ततः पार्था महेष्वासा: सात्वताभिसूतं नृपम्‌ | अभ्यवर्तन्‌ रथैस्तूर्ण मातुलं वधकाड्क्षया,तब महाथधनुर्धर पृथापुत्रोंने सात्यकिके साथ उलझे हुए मामा मद्रराज शल्यके वधकी इच्छासे रथोंद्वारा उनपर आक्रमण किया

Transliteration

tataḥ pārthā maheṣvāsāḥ sātvātābhisūtaṃ nṛpam | abhyavartan rathais tūrṇaṃ mātulaṃ vadhakāṅkṣayā ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces los poderosos arqueros, los hijos de Pṛthā, giraron con presteza sus carros y cargaron contra el rey—auriga de los Sātvata—que era su tío materno, impulsados por el deseo de darle muerte.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

पार्थाःthe sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)

महेष्वासाःgreat bowmen

सात्वताभिसूतम्the charioteer of the Sātvatas (i.e., Sātyaki)

नृपम्the king

अभ्यवर्तन्they attacked / rushed upon

रथैःwith chariots

तूर्णम्swiftly

मातुलम्maternal uncle

वधकाङ्क्षयाwith the desire to kill

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

Sātvata (Kṛṣṇa)

mātula (maternal uncle; contextually Śalya, king of Madra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension in dharma-yuddha: even close kin (a maternal uncle) may become a legitimate target when aligned with adharma or the opposing side. It points to the grim reality that war compels the subordination of personal bonds to perceived duty, making the conflict morally tragic rather than celebratory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that the Pāṇḍavas, renowned archers, rapidly maneuver their chariots and launch an attack on their maternal uncle—understood in context as Śalya, the Madra king—intent on killing him amid the Kurukṣetra battle.