Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 19

Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57

Devanagari script

अभिद्रवणमाक्षेपमवस्थानं सविग्रहम्‌ । परिवर्तनसंवर्तमवप्लुतमुपप्लुतम्‌

Transliteration

abhidravāṇam ākṣepam avasthānaṁ savigraham | parivartana-saṁvartaṁ avaplutaṁ upaplutaṁ |

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: No dejaban de mudar de táctica—cargando de frente el uno contra el otro, arrojando y golpeando, manteniéndose firmes en una resistencia alerta; reanudando la lucha cuando el enemigo caído se alzaba de nuevo; girando para hallar una abertura donde asestar el golpe; frenando el avance del rival; agachándose para anular el ataque que venía; saltando y brincando; cerrando la distancia para descargar un mazazo, y luego volviéndose para herir con un golpe de brazo hacia atrás. Ambos eran maestros del combate con maza, y al cambiar sin cesar sus maniobras se iban hiriendo mutuamente.

Word by Word

• अभिद्रवणम्: charging/rushing towards
• अभिद्रवणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिद्रवण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आक्षेपम्: throwing/striking; a cast/attack
• आक्षेपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्षेप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवस्थानम्: standing firm; a halt/position
• अवस्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्थान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स-विग्रहम्: with grappling/with close combat
• स-विग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विग्रह
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिवर्तनम्: turning about; changing maneuvers
• परिवर्तनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवर्तन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संवर्तम्: whirling/closing in; a circling movement
• संवर्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवप्लुतम्: dodged aside; slipped away (having leapt down/away)
• अवप्लुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवप्लुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपप्लुतम्: leapt up/near; sprung towards
• उपप्लुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपप्लुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined martial expertise: victory is pursued not by blind fury but by controlled technique, timing, and adaptive strategy—qualities expected of trained kṣatriya warriors even amid lethal conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes an intense mace-duel in which the fighters repeatedly change stances and movements—charging, circling, blocking, ducking, leaping, closing in to strike, and counterstriking—each trying to outmaneuver and injure the other.