Shloka 31
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
Devanagari script
शयान धार॑राष्ट्र तु सलिले स्तम्भिते तदा
Transliteration
śayān dhārarāṣṭra tu salile stambhite tadā
Translation
तेव्हा धार्तराष्ट्र (धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र) पाण्यात पडून होता, आणि त्या वेळी पाणी जणू थांबून स्थिर झाले होते।
Word by Word
शयानःlying down
शयानः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धार्तराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana)
धार्तराष्ट्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधार्तराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
सलिलेin the water
सलिले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
स्तम्भितेwhen (it was) made still/immobilized
स्तम्भिते:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootस्तम्भ् (धातु) → स्तम्भित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
तदाthen/at that time
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
Speaker
नारद उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
Dhātarāṣṭra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)W
water (salila)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse evokes helplessness before time and consequence: status and power cannot ultimately shield one from the results of actions and from mortality; ethical clarity and restraint matter more than pride or attachment.
Nārada describes Dhātarāṣṭra lying in/near water at a moment when the water is ‘stambhita’—checked or made still—setting a scene of suspension and vulnerability within the larger Shalya Parva narration.