Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 36

शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni

with Ulūka’s fall

Devanagari script

तदनीकं तदा पार्थो व्यधमद्‌ बहुभि: शरै:

Transliteration

tad anīkaṃ tadā pārtho vyadhamad bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Entonces Pārtha (Arjuna) hizo añicos aquella formación de batalla, abatíendola con una multitud de flechas.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनीकम्: army, battle-array
• अनीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• पार्थः: the son of Pritha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यधमत्: he scattered/blew apart
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यधम् (ध्मा धातु, वि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• anīka (battle-formation/army)
• śara (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the midst of righteous warfare, effectiveness and restraint are implied through disciplined action: a warrior applies skill decisively to fulfill duty, not to indulge in needless violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, at that moment, breaks and overwhelms an opposing troop-formation by showering it with many arrows, turning the tide through superior archery.