Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 37

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

मुदा नून॑ प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धे ह्ाप्सरसां गणा:

Transliteration

mudā nūnaṁ prapaśyanti yuddhe hy apsarasāṁ gaṇāḥ

Translation

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ប្រាកដណាស់ ដោយសេចក្តីរីករាយ ក្រុមអប្សរាទាំងឡាយកំពុងមើលសង្គ្រាមនេះ»។

Word by Word

• मुदा: with joy, joyfully
• मुदा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक: मुदा)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• नूनम्: surely, indeed
• नूनम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम्

• प्रपश्यन्ति: they behold, they see clearly
• प्रपश्यन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (प्र + पश्)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (नपुं. प्रातिपदिक: युद्ध)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अप्सरसाम्: of the Apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक: अप्सरस्)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• गणाः: groups, hosts
• गणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (पुं. प्रातिपदिक: गण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Apsarases
• battle (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames war as an event witnessed even by celestial beings, implying that human actions—especially violent, dharma-charged deeds—carry cosmic visibility and consequence; it also reflects the epic’s view that heroic death in battle can attract otherworldly attention and destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, remarks that the Apsarases are joyfully watching the ongoing battle, heightening the sense of grandeur and the otherworldly stakes surrounding the conflict.