Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 21

Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

मदर्थे प्रतियुद्धयेतां मानाहौँ सत्यसड्रौ । मां वा शल्यो रणे हन्ता त॑ वाहं भद्गमस्तु व:

Transliteration

madarthe pratiyuddhyetāṁ mānārhau satyasaṅgarau | māṁ vā śalyo raṇe hantā taṁ vāhaṁ bhadram astu vaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: “Demi diriku, biarlah Nakula dan Sahadeva—yang layak dihormati dan teguh pada ikrar—bertarung melawan paman pihak ibu mereka. Lalu entah Śalya membunuhku di medan perang, atau aku akan menewaskannya. Semoga sejahtera bagi kalian.”

Word by Word

• {'madarthe': 'for my sake

• on my account', 'pratiyuddhyetām': 'let the two fight back/engage in battle (dual, optative/imperative sense)', 'mānārhau': 'worthy of honor/respect', 'satya-saṅgarau': 'true to their vow

• steadfast in their pledged combat/resolve (dual)', 'śalyaḥ': 'Śalya (king of Madra), maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva', 'raṇe': 'in battle

• on the battlefield', 'hantā': 'slayer

• will kill', 'tam': 'him', 'aham': 'I', 'bhadram astu vaḥ': 'may there be auspiciousness/welfare for you (plural)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Śalya
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma: honor-bound warriors must uphold their pledged duty even when it demands fighting close kin. Truthfulness to one’s vow and readiness to accept the battle’s outcome are treated as ethical imperatives within the warrior code.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a martial resolve: Nakula and Sahadeva are urged to fight their maternal uncle Śalya for the speaker’s sake, with the stark alternative that either Śalya will kill the speaker in battle or the speaker will kill Śalya—ending with a formal benediction for the listeners’ welfare.