Shloka 23

अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन

Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault

Devanagari script

त्रासयन्तौ दिश: सर्वा ज्याक्षेपकठिनत्वचौ । शकुनिस्तु रणे वीरो युधिष्ठिरमपीडयत्‌

Transliteration

trāsayantau diśaḥ sarvā jyākṣepakaṭhinatvacau | śakunistu raṇe vīro yudhiṣṭhiram apīḍayat ||

Translation

വില്ലിന്റെ ഞാണു ആവർത്തിച്ച് വലിച്ചതിനാൽ അവരുടെ കൈകളിലെ ത്വക്ക് കഠിനമായി; അവർ എല്ലാ ദിക്കുകളെയും ഭീതിയിലാഴ്ത്തി. അതേസമയം വീരൻ ശകുനി യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ യുധിഷ്ഠിരനെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• त्रासयन्तौ: frightening, terrifying
• त्रासयन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रासयत् (√त्रस्)
• Form: present participle (शतृ), parasmaipada (active), masculine, nominative, dual

• दिशः: directions, quarters
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: feminine, accusative, plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: feminine, accusative, plural

• ज्याक्षेपकठिनत्वचौ: having skin hardened by bowstring-drawing
• ज्याक्षेपकठिनत्वचौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्याक्षेप-कठिन-त्वच्
• Form: masculine, nominative, dual

• शकुनिः: Shakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तु: but, on the other hand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• वीरः: hero, brave man
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अपीडयत्: tormented, pained, afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड्
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Shakuni
• Yudhishthira
• bowstring (jyā)
• directions (diśaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the brutal momentum of war: repeated martial action hardens the body and spreads fear, while adversaries deliberately seek to afflict even a dharma-minded king like Yudhishthira. It underscores how battle amplifies suffering and tests steadiness and righteousness under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes intense fighting where warriors, hardened by constant bowstring-drawing, terrify all quarters. At the same time, Shakuni engages Yudhishthira directly and begins to harass and oppress him on the battlefield.