Mahabharata 9.55.14 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 55, Shloka 14

Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha

Verbal Duel and Omens

Devanagari script

वातिकाश्चारणा ये तु दृष्टवा ते हर्षमागता: । स पाण्डवै: परिवृत: कुरुराजस्तवात्मज:

Transliteration

vātikāś cāraṇā ye tu dṛṣṭvā te harṣam āgatāḥ | sa pāṇḍavaiḥ parivṛtaḥ kururājas tavātmajaḥ ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവനെ കണ്ട വൈതാലികരും ചാരണരും ഹർഷത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞു. പാണ്ഡവരാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട നിന്റെ പുത്രനായ കുരുരാജൻ അവിടെ നിലകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वातिकाः: Vātikas (a class of beings/attendants)
• वातिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वातिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• चारणाः: Cāraṇas (celestial bards)
• चारणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हर्षम्: joy
• हर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आगताः: came/arrived (became)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डवैः: by/with the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• परिवृतः: surrounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुरुराजः: the king of the Kurus
• कुरुराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• आत्मजः: son (born of oneself)
• आत्मजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kuru king (tava ātmajaḥ, i.e., Duryodhana)
• Vātikās (bards)
• Cāraṇas (celestial bards)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the volatility of power and reputation in war: even a king can be seen in a diminished or altered position, reminding readers that ethical standing and fortune are unstable and contingent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that bards (vātikās) and celestial singers (cāraṇas) rejoice upon seeing your son, the Kuru king, who is depicted as being surrounded by the Pāṇḍavas.