Mahabharata 9.23.39 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

पादाताशक्ष त्रिसाहस्रा द्रौपदेयाश्व॒ सर्वश: । रणे हाभ्यद्रवंस्ते तु शकुनिं युद्धदुर्मदम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pādātāś ca trīsahasrā draupadeyāś ca sarvaśaḥ | raṇe hy abhyadravaṃs te tu śakuniṃ yuddha-durmadam | tad-anantaraṃ dharmarāja-ājñayā dhanuḥ-pāṇayaḥ saptāśata-hastinaḥ pañca-sahasra-aśvārūḍhāḥ parākrama-sahadevaḥ trīsahasrāḥ pādātāś ca draupadyāḥ sarve putrāś ca—ete sarve raṇa-bhūmau yuddha-durmadam śakuniṃ prati abhyadravan |

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。ついで戦場において、歩兵三千とドラウパディーの息子たちすべてが、戦の狂熱に驕るシャクニへと突進した。さらにダルマラージャの命により、弓を携えた戦士を乗せた戦象七百、騎兵五千、勇猛なるサハデーヴァ、歩兵三千、そしてドラウパディーの息子たちが一つとなって戦場を奔り、シャクニを討たんと押し寄せた。

Word by Word

• पादाताः: foot-soldiers
• पादाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अष्ट: eight
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन्
• Form: —, —, —

• त्रिसाहस्राः: three-thousand (in number)
• त्रिसाहस्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिसाहस्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्रौपदेयाः: the sons of Draupadī
• द्रौपदेयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सर्वशः: altogether; wholly; all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस्

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभ्यद्रवन्: ran towards; charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but; indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• शकुनिम्: Śakuni
• शकुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धदुर्मदम्: maddened by battle; battle-intoxicated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध-दुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śakuni
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Sahadeva
• Draupadī
• Draupadeyas (sons of Draupadī)
• battlefield (raṇa-bhūmi)
• elephants (hastin)
• cavalry/horsemen (aśvārūḍha)
• bows (dhanuḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within the violence of war, action is portrayed as ethically structured by rightful command (Dharmarāja’s order) and disciplined purpose; the verse contrasts dharma-guided obedience and coordinated effort with the moral danger of war-intoxication (yuddha-durmada).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, following Yudhiṣṭhira’s command, a combined force—elephants with bow-armed riders, cavalry, infantry, Sahadeva, and all of Draupadī’s sons—launches a concerted charge against Śakuni on the battlefield.