Mahabharata 9.23.58 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 58

Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host

Devanagari script

सुसंनिकृष्टे: संग्रामे हतभूयिष्ठसैनिकै: । योद्धाओंके कवच रक्तसे भीग गये थे। वे सब हाथोंमें अस्त्र-शस्त्र लिये धनुष उठाये नाना प्रकारके भयंकर आयुधोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेके वधकी इच्छा रखते थे। उस संग्राममें सभी योद्धा अत्यन्त निकट होकर युद्ध करते थे और उनमेंसे अधिकांश सैनिक मार डाले गये थे।।

Transliteration

susaṃnikṛṣṭe saṅgrāme hatabhūyiṣṭhasainikaiḥ | yoddhāṇāṃ kavacāni raktair bhīgitāni sma | te sarve hastāstreṇa śastrāṇi gṛhītvā dhanuḥ samudyamya nānāvidhair bhayānakair āyudhair anyonyavadhecchayā yuyudhire | tasmin saṅgrāme sarve yoddhā atyantaṃ nikṛṣṭā yuyudhire, teṣāṃ ca bahavo hatāḥ || sa muhūrtaṃ tato yuddhvā saubalo 'tha viśāṃpate ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Dalam pertempuran itu para kesatria bertarung pada jarak yang amat rapat, dan sebagian besar prajurit telah gugur. Zirah mereka basah oleh darah; dengan senjata di tangan dan busur terangkat, bersenjatakan aneka alat perang yang mengerikan, masing-masing mengincar kematian lawannya. Setelah bertempur sejenak, wahai raja manusia, putra Subala kembali melanjutkan laga.

Word by Word

• सुसंनिकृष्टे: in very close (quarters)
• सुसंनिकृष्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसंनिकृष्ट
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• संग्रामे: in the battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हतभूयिष्ठसैनिकैः: with troops mostly slain
• हतभूयिष्ठसैनिकैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हतभूयिष्ठसैनिक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• युद्ध्वा: having fought
• युद्ध्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• सौबलः: the son of Subala (Shakuni)
• सौबलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• विशाम्पते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (viśāṃpati)
• Śakuni (Saubala)
• warriors (yoddhāḥ)
• armor (kavaca)
• bows (dhanuḥ)
• weapons (āyudhāni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war: when combat collapses into close-quarters slaughter, intention narrows to mutual killing (anyonyavadhecchā), highlighting how violence overwhelms restraint and how quickly armies are reduced—an implicit warning about the destructive momentum of adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battle has become extremely close and deadly; most soldiers are already slain, armor is drenched in blood, and warriors fight with bows and terrifying weapons, each seeking the other’s death. He then notes that Śakuni (Saubala) continues fighting after a brief interval.