Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 38

Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्न॑ कृप: क्रुद्धो बाणवर्षैरपीडयत्‌ । द्रौपदेयांश्व शकुनिर्यमौ च द्रौणिरभ्ययात्‌

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ kṛpaḥ kruddho bāṇavarṣair apīḍayat | draupadeyāṃś ca śakunir yamau ca drauṇir abhyayāt ||

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—क्रोधाने पेटलेल्या कृपाचार्यांनी धृष्टद्युम्नावर बाणांचा वर्षाव करून त्याला पीडित केले. शकुनी द्रौपदीपुत्रांवर चालून आला आणि द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा यमज—नकुल व सहदेव—यांच्यावर धावून गेला.

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Dhrishtadyumna (as object)
• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृपः: Kripa
• कृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past participle)

• बाणवर्षैः: with showers of arrows
• बाणवर्षैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अपि: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अपीडयत्: tormented/afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्रौपदेयान्: the sons of Draupadi
• द्रौपदेयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• शकुनिः: Shakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यमौ: the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva)
• यमौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

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

• द्रौणिः: Drauni (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्ययात्: attacked/advanced against
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, अभि

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Śakuni
• Draupadeyas (sons of Draupadī)
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) escalates violence and narrows moral vision in war: senior warriors and tacticians focus on crippling leaders and heirs, showing the ethical deterioration that prolonged conflict brings even among the renowned.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports simultaneous assaults: Kṛpa, furious, overwhelms Dhṛṣṭadyumna with arrow-showers; Śakuni moves against the Draupadeyas; and Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) charges the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva.