Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

त्वरिता जवनैरश्वैरायोधनमुपागमन्‌ । संजय कहते हैं--राजन! संदेशवाहकोंके मुखसे दुर्योधनके मारे जानेका समाचार सुनकर मरनेसे बचे हुए कौरव महारथी अश्वत्थामा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tvaritā javanair aśvair āyodhanam upāgaman | tatrāpaśyan mahātmānaṃ dhārtarāṣṭraṃ nipātitam |

Translation

വേഗമേറിയ കുതിരകൾ കെട്ടിയ രഥങ്ങളിൽ കയറി അവർ അതിവേഗം യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിലേക്കെത്തി. അവിടെ അവർ മഹാത്മാവായ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രപുത്രനെ നിലംപതിച്ച നിലയിൽ കണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• त्वरिताः: hastened, in haste
• त्वरिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (त्वर् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जवनैः: with swift
• जवनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जवन
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्वैः: horses
• अश्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आयोधनम्: battlefield
• आयोधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयोधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपागमन्: they approached/came near
• उपागमन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अपश्यन्: they saw
• अपश्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रम्: the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निपातितम्: felled, struck down
• निपातितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√पत् (निपातयति) / निपातित (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana
• Aśvatthāmā
• Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)
• Kṛtavarmā
• Āyodhana (battlefield)
• Chariot (ratha)
• Horses (aśva)
• Śāla tree (śālavṛkṣa) (simile)
• Hunter (vyādha) (simile)
• Elephant (gaja/hastin) (simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the ethical cost of war: victory and defeat alike culminate in suffering, and even those called ‘great-souled’ can be brought low. It also shows how attachment—loyalty to one’s side and the pull of vengeance—can propel survivors forward even when dharma would counsel restraint and reflection.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing from messengers that Duryodhana has been struck down, the remaining Kaurava leaders—Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, and Kṛtavarmā—rush by chariot to the battlefield. There they see Duryodhana lying felled and bleeding, compared to a great tree broken by wind and a huge elephant killed by a hunter.