Shloka 163

शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host

with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter

Devanagari script

रथादवातरद्‌ वीर: शैलाग्रादिव केसरी । धनुष कट जानेपर रथहीन हुए वीर नकुल हाथमें ढाल-तलवार लेकर पर्वतके शिखरसे उतरनेवाले सिंहके समान रथसे नीचे आ गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rathād avātarad vīraḥ śailāgrād iva kesarī |

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Sang kesatria turun dari keretanya, laksana singa menuruni puncak gunung. Setelah busurnya terputus dan ia kehilangan kereta, Nakula menggenggam pedang dan perisai, lalu melangkah turun untuk meneruskan pertempuran.

Word by Word

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अवातरद्: descended
• अवातरद्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शैलाग्रात्: from a mountain-peak
• शैलाग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलाग्र
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• केसरी: a lion
• केसरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसरी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• lion (kesarī)
• mountain peak (śailāgra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when external supports are lost (such as a chariot), a warrior committed to duty does not collapse into fear or confusion; he adapts and continues with courage and steadiness, embodying kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a hero dismounting from his chariot in the midst of battle, compared to a lion coming down from a mountain peak—an image emphasizing fearless readiness to engage on foot.