Mahabharata 9.13.22 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 22

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

नकुल: समरे शक्ति सहदेवो गदां शुभाम्‌ | धर्मराज: शतघ्नीं च जिघांसु: शल्यमाहवे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nakulaḥ samare śaktiṃ sahadevo gadāṃ śubhām | dharmarājaḥ śataghnīṃ ca jighāṃsuḥ śalyam āhave | bhīmasenena prajvalita-sarpaka-samānān nārācān pracālitān | nakulena saṅgrāma-bhūmau śalye prati śaktiḥ kṣiptā | sahadevena sundarā gadā pracālitā | dharmarājena yudhiṣṭhireṇa raṇa-kṣetre śalyaṃ hantum icchatā śataghnī-praghātaḥ kṛtaḥ |

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—समरात नकुलाने शक्ति फेकली, सहदेवाने शुभ गदा चालविली आणि धर्मराज युधिष्ठिराने शल्याचा वध करण्याच्या इच्छेने रणांगणात त्याच्यावर शतघ्नीचा प्रहार केला. भीमसेनाने ज्वलंत सर्पासारखे तीक्ष्ण नाराच सोडले. अशा रीतीने पांडवांनी आपापल्या आयुधांनी युद्धाच्या कठोरतेत धर्म्य निर्धार कृतीत उतरविला।

Word by Word

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शक्तिम्: a spear/javelin (śakti-weapon)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गदाम्: a mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शतघ्नीम्: a śataghnī weapon (stone/iron missile, 'hundred-slayer')
• शतघ्नीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतघ्नी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• जिघांसुः: wishing to kill
• जिघांसुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शल्यम्: Śalya
• शल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in the battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Śalya
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• gadā (mace)
• śataghnī (heavy missile weapon)
• nārāca (iron arrows)
• saṅgrāma-bhūmi (battlefield)
• raṇa-kṣetra (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, action is framed by intention and duty: the Pāṇḍavas act with focused resolve against a formidable foe, illustrating kṣatriya responsibility under dharma—decisive action undertaken for a perceived just cause, not for mere cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a coordinated assault on Śalya: Nakula hurls a spear, Sahadeva swings/launches a mace, Yudhiṣṭhira strikes with a śataghnī intending to kill Śalya, and Bhīma releases fierce arrows likened to a blazing serpent.