Mahabharata 9.23.653 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 653

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

Devanagari script

पार्श्वतो5भ्यहनत्‌ क्रुद्धो धृष्टद्युम्नस्प वाहिनीम्‌ । उन सबके चले जानेपर सुबलपुत्र शकुनि पुनः कुपित हो पार्श्रभागसे आकर धृष्टद्यम्मकी सेनाका संहार करने लगा

Transliteration

pārśvato 'bhyahanat kruddho dhṛṣṭadyumnas tu vāhinīm |

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ດ້ວຍຄວາມໂກດ ທຣິດສະຕະດຸມນະ ໄດ້ຕີກອງທັບຝ່າຍຕໍ່ຕ້ານຈາກດ້ານຂ້າງ ຜ່າກອງທັບດ້ວຍການຈູ່ໂຈມຂ້າງທີ່ກວາດກວ້າງ. ໃນຄວາມໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສົງຄາມ ຄວາມເດືອດດານທາງຍຸດທະວິທີແທນທີ່ຄວາມຍັບຍັ້ງ ແລະສະໜາມຮົບກາຍເປັນການທົດສອບອຳນາດບັງຄັບບັນຊາ ຄວາມກ້າຫານ ແລະຂອບເຂດແຫ່ງທຳມະທ່າມກາງການຂ້າຟັນ.

Word by Word

• पार्श्वतः: from the side; sideways
• पार्श्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पार्श्व
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival/adverbial usage: 'from/at the side')

• अभ्यहनत्: struck; smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (√हन्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (from √क्रुध्)
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न (proper noun)
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• वाहिनीम्: army; host
• वाहिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• vāhinī (army/host)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger can drive decisive action in war, raising the ethical tension between necessary kṣatriya duty and the moral danger of letting wrath govern conduct. It invites reflection on whether strategy and duty can remain aligned with dharma when emotions intensify violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna, in anger, attacks an army formation from the flank, implying a tactical side-assault that disrupts and damages the opposing host during the Shalya Parva battles.