Shloka 523

Devanagari script

ट्रुमसेनं चतुःषष्ट्या निजघान महारथ: । इसके बाद महारथी युधिष्छिरने सत्तर बाणोंसे चन्द्रसेनको, नौ बाणोंसे शल्यके सारथिको और चौंसठ बाणोंसे ट्रमसेनको मार डाला

Transliteration

trumasenaṃ catuḥṣaṣṭyā nijaghāna mahārathaḥ |

Translation

Sanjaya said: The great chariot-warrior struck down Trumasena with sixty-four arrows. In the same surge of battle, Yudhiṣṭhira—acting with the stern resolve demanded by kṣatriya-duty—also felled Candrasena with seventy arrows and Shalya’s charioteer with nine, pressing the war forward through precise, measured violence rather than reckless cruelty.

Word by Word

• ट्रुमसेनम्: Trumasena (as object)
• ट्रुमसेनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ट्रुमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चतुःषष्ट्या: with sixty-four (arrows)
• चतुःषष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःषष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• निजघान: struck down / slew
• निजघान: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Trumasena
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Candrasena
• Shalya
• Shalya’s charioteer
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects kṣatriya-dharma in its hardest form: when war is already joined, a ruler must act decisively and skillfully to protect his side and uphold his pledged duty, while keeping violence purposeful rather than wanton.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a sequence of battlefield kills: Trumasena is brought down with sixty-four arrows; additionally, Yudhiṣṭhira strikes down Candrasena with seventy arrows and kills Shalya’s charioteer with nine arrows.