Mahabharata 7.113.2 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 113, Shloka 2

Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)

Devanagari script

धर्मराजस्य तद्‌ वाक्‍्यं निशम्य शिनिपुज्भव: । सात्यकिर्भरतश्रेष्ठ प्रत्युवाच युधिष्ठिरम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | dharmarājasya tad vākyaṃ niśamya śinipuṅgavaḥ | sātyakir bharataśreṣṭha pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiram ||

Translation

ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ ആ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട്, ഭാരതശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ശിനികളിൽ പ്രഥമനായ സാത്യകി യുദ്ധിഷ്ഠിരനോട് ഇപ്രകാരം മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sanjaya said', 'dharmarājasya': 'of Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira), the king devoted to dharma', 'tad vākyaṃ': 'that statement/speech', 'niśamya': 'having heard, after listening', 'śinipuṅgavaḥ': 'the foremost/bull among the Shinis (an epithet of Satyaki)', 'sātyakiḥ': 'Satyaki (Yuyudhana), a Vrishni/Shini warrior allied with the Pandavas', 'bharataśreṣṭha': 'O best of the Bharatas (honorific address)', 'pratyuvāca': 'replied, answered in return', 'yudhiṣṭhiram': 'to Yudhishthira'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)
• Satyaki (Yuyudhana)
• Shini (clan reference)
• Bharatas (dynastic reference)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of speech: words should be affectionate, pleasing, sweet, timely, appropriate, and aligned with justice (nyaya). In the midst of war, dharmic communication remains a guiding standard for leaders and allies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to King Dhritarashtra that Yudhishthira has spoken in a commendably dharmic manner. After hearing him, Satyaki—described as the foremost of the Shinis—responds to Yudhishthira, setting up the next portion of dialogue.