Shloka 8

शल्यपर्वणि प्रथमाध्यायः — Karṇa-vadha-anantaraṃ Śalya-niyogaḥ, Saṃjayasya Dhṛtarāṣṭra-nivedanam

Devanagari script

शल्यं सेनापतिं कृत्वा विधिवद्‌ राजपुड़व: । रणाय निर्ययौ राजा हतशेषैनपै: सह

Transliteration

śalyaṃ senāpatiṃ kṛtvā vidhivad rājapūḍavaḥ | raṇāya niryayau rājā hataśeṣair nṛpaiḥ saha ||

Translation

विधिपूर्वक शल्य को सेनापति नियुक्त करके पाण्डव-राजा रण के लिए निकला, और उसके साथ वे नरेश थे जो संहार के बाद शेष रह गए थे।

Word by Word

शल्यंShalya (as object: Shalya)

सेनापतिंcommander-in-chief

कृत्वाhaving made/appointed

विधिवत्according to rule; duly

राजपुत्रवःthe princes (sons of the king)

रणायfor battle

निर्ययौwent forth; marched out

राजाthe king

हतशेषैःwith the remaining survivors (those left after being slain)

नृपैःwith kings

सहtogether with

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Śalya

Pāṇḍava (king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira implied)

surviving kings (hataśeṣa nṛpāḥ)

battle (raṇa)

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?

Even in the chaos and moral burden of war, rightful governance requires orderly procedure (vidhivat) and responsible leadership; the survivors proceed with duty-bound resolve rather than celebratory aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

After heavy losses, the Pāṇḍava king formally appoints Śalya as commander-in-chief and then marches out to battle together with the remaining allied kings.