Mahabharata 9.14.66 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 14, Shloka 66

Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)

Devanagari script

शरैवीक्ष्य विनुन्नाड़ौ प्रह्ृ् युद्धदुर्मदा: । सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धरोंमें श्रेष्ठ तथा महाधनुर्धर श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनके सम्पूर्ण अंगोंको बाणोंसे व्यथित हुआ देख रणदुर्मद कौरवयोद्धा बड़े प्रसन्न हुए

Transliteration

śaraiḥ vīkṣya vinunnāṅgau prahṛṣṭā yuddha-durmadāḥ | sampūrṇa-dhanurdharāṇāṃ śreṣṭhau tathā mahā-dhanurdharau śrīkṛṣṇa-arjunau sampūrṇāṅgān bāṇaiḥ vyathitau dṛṣṭvā raṇa-durmadāḥ kaurava-yoddhāḥ bahu prasannā abhavan |

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「あらゆる弓兵の中で最も卓越し、大弓を操る偉丈夫であるシュリー・クリシュナとアルジュナが、全身を矢に射られて痛みに苦しむのを見て、戦の狂熱に酔ったカウラヴァの戦士たちは大いに歓喜した。」

Word by Word

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ईक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• विनुन्नौ: driven/afflicted, struck
• विनुन्नौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नुद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• युद्ध-दुर्मदाः: battle-maddened (war-intoxicated)
• युद्ध-दुर्मदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सम्पूर्ण-धनुर्धराणाम्: of all bowmen
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठौ: the best (two)
• श्रेष्ठौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तथा: and, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• महाधनुर्धरौ: the two great bowmen
• महाधनुर्धरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाधनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• श्रीकृष्णः: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• श्रीकृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्पूर्ण-अङ्गौ: their whole bodies (two)
• सम्पूर्ण-अङ्गौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• व्यथितौ: pained, distressed
• व्यथितौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यथ्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• रण-दुर्मदाः: battle-maddened
• रण-दुर्मदाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कौरव-योद्धाः: Kaurava warriors
• कौरव-योद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रसन्नाः: pleased, delighted
• प्रसन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभवन्: became, were
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Arjuna
• Kaurava warriors
• arrows (śara/bāṇa)
• bow (dhanu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse cautions that war can intoxicate the mind: delighting in an opponent’s pain is a sign of moral distortion (mada). It implicitly upholds restraint and discernment as dharmic virtues even amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna have been struck and pained by many arrows. Seeing this, the Kaurava fighters—carried away by battle-excitement—feel great joy, believing their side is gaining advantage.