Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

कूबरं रथचक्राणि ईषा योक्‍्त्राणि वा विभो

Transliteration

kūbaraṃ rathacakrāṇi īṣā yoktrāṇi vā vibho

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ຜູ້ມີລິດອໍານາດ, (ຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນມີ) ກ່ອງຮັບຄານລົດ (kūbara), ລໍ້ລົດຮົບ, ຄານແກນ, ແລະສາຍຮັດສາຍບັງເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນດ້ວຍ.” ຖ້ອຍຄໍານີ້ຊູ້ຂຶ້ນພາບຫຼັງສົງຄາມອັນໂຫດຮ້າຍ: ເຄື່ອງມືແຫ່ງການຮົບ—ທີ່ເຄີຍຖືກໃຊ້ເພື່ອຮັບໃຊ້ທໍາມະຂອງນັກຮົບ—ກັບແຕກຫັກແລະກະຈາຍເກືອບທົ່ວ, ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄ່າແລະຄວາມບອບບາງຂອງອໍານາດທາງຍຸດທະເມື່ອທໍາມະຖືກທົດສອບທ່າມກາງຄວາມພິນາດ.

Word by Word

• कूबरम्: the pole/shaft (of a chariot)
• कूबरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूबर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रथचक्राणि: chariot-wheels
• रथचक्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथचक्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• ईषा: the yoke-pole/drawbar
• ईषा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईषा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• योक्त्राणि: yoke-straps/fastenings
• योक्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योक्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• विभो: O mighty one
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• chariot wheels (cakra)
• kūbara (chariot pole-box)
• īṣā (axle-pole/shaft)
• yoktra (harness-straps)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the material supports of power—chariots, wheels, harness—can be reduced to wreckage in war, reminding the listener that prowess and equipment are impermanent; dharma must be upheld with discernment, not mere reliance on force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing battlefield details to the listener, listing scattered or damaged chariot components—kūbara, wheels, axle/shaft, and harness—suggesting the aftermath of intense fighting and the breakdown of war-machinery.