Shloka 85
Devanagari script
मद्रराजश्न॒ कौन्तेयमविध्यत् त्रिंशता शरै:
Transliteration
madrarājaḥ kaunteyam avidhyat triṃśatā śaraiḥ
Translation
Sañjaya said: The king of Madra struck Kaunteya with thirty arrows—an episode that underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where prowess and resolve are tested amid the harsh ethics of warfare.
Word by Word
मद्रराजःthe king of Madra (Śalya)
मद्रराजः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमद्रराज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कौन्तेयम्Kuntī's son (Arjuna)
कौन्तेयम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकौन्तेय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अविध्यत्pierced, struck
अविध्यत्:
TypeVerb
Rootव्यध्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular
त्रिंशताwith thirty
त्रिंशता:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootत्रिंशत्
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
शरैःarrows
शरैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śalya (Madrarāja)K
Kaunteya (son of Kuntī)A
arrows (śara)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya arena where duty is enacted through combat: endurance under attack and steadfastness amid escalating violence are repeatedly tested, reminding readers that power must be paired with discipline and purpose even in war.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield moment: Śalya, the ruler of Madra, shoots and wounds Kaunteya with thirty arrows, marking an intensification of the exchange of missiles between major warriors.