Mahabharata (Gita Press) 7.116.6 - Drona Parva, Adhyaya 116, Shloka 6

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

नागेष्वश्वेषु बहुशो रथेषु च परीक्षितम्‌ परीक्ष्य च यथान्यायं वेतनेनोपपादितम्‌

Transliteration

nāgeṣv aśveṣu bahuśo ratheṣu ca parīkṣitam | parīkṣya ca yathānyāyaṃ vetanenopapāditam ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആനകളിലും കുതിരകളിലും രഥങ്ങളിലുമേറി യുദ്ധകലയിൽ ഇവരെ പലവട്ടം പരീക്ഷിച്ചു; പരീക്ഷിച്ചതിന് ശേഷം ന്യായാനുസാരം യഥോചിതമായ വേതനം നൽകി അവരെ പരിപാലിച്ചു।

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Word by Word

• नागेषु: on/among elephants
• नागेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अश्वेषु: on/among horses
• अश्वेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• बहुशः: many times; repeatedly; thoroughly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः

• रथेषु: on/among chariots
• रथेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

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

• परीक्षितम्: examined; tested
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ईक्ष्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive/resultative

• परीक्ष्य: having examined; after testing
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ईक्ष्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Having done

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

• यथा: according as; as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अन्यायम्: injustice; improper rule (lit. non-justice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वेतनेन: by wages; with pay
• वेतनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• उपपादितम्: provided; furnished; assigned
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√पद् (उपपादयति)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive/resultative

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• elephants
• horses
• chariots
• wages (vetana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Competence should be assessed through proper examination, and compensation should be allotted in a manner consistent with nyāya (justice and propriety), linking reward to proven skill and fair procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an administrative-military arrangement: fighters have been repeatedly evaluated for combat roles on elephants, horses, and chariots, and after this vetting they have been assigned appropriate pay, indicating organized preparation for war.