Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 163
Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)
समदृश्यन्त पार्थस्य रथमार्गेषु भारत । भारत! महाभाग! अर्जुनके रथके मार्गोमें धरतीपर गिरते हुए रथके पहियों
saṃdadṛśyanta pārthasya rathamārgeṣu bhārata | bhārata mahābhāga arjunasya rathasya mārgeṣu pṛthivyāṃ patantīnāṃ rathacakrāṇāṃ yūnām iṣudhīnām patākānāṃ dhvajānāṃ rathānāṃ harasānām anukarṣāṇāṃ triveṇunāmaka-kāṣṭhānāṃ dhurāṇāṃ rajjūnāṃ prahārakāṇāṃ kuṇḍalavatāṃ śirobhir uṣṇīṣadhāriṇāṃ mastakaiḥ bāhubhiḥ skandhaiḥ chatraiḥ vyajanaiḥ mukuṭaiś ca śataśo dhairyaṃ dṛśyante sma
Sañjaya dit : Ô Bhārata, ô noble seigneur — le long des traces du char de Pārtha, on voyait sur la terre, épars, tas après tas de ce qui était tombé dans la déroute : roues de chars, jougs, carquois, bannières et étendards, chars brisés, armes et cordes de halage, pièces de bois nommées triveṇu, essieux, cordages et fouets ; et même des têtes tranchées ornées de boucles d’oreilles et de turbans, des bras et des épaules, avec des ombrelles, des éventails et des couronnes. La scène marquait la puissance écrasante de l’avance d’Arjuna et le prix funeste de la fureur guerrière.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark reality of war: even royal splendor—crowns, parasols, banners—becomes scattered debris, highlighting impermanence and the heavy human cost that accompanies martial success.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the aftermath along Arjuna’s chariot path: broken chariot parts and fallen weapons mixed with severed, ornamented body parts and royal emblems, indicating Arjuna’s devastating advance through the enemy ranks.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.