Mahabharata 1.103.49 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 49

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

अस्त्रेण चास्याथैन्द्रेण न्‍्यवधीत्‌ तुरगोत्तमान्‌ | कन्याहेतोर्नरश्रेष्ठ भीष्म: शान्तनवस्तदा

Transliteration

astreṇa cāsyātha aindreṇa nyavadhīt turagottamān | kanyāhetor naraśreṣṭho bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavas tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian, dengan senjata Indra, Bhīṣma menewaskan kuda-kuda terbaik Śālva. Demi para puteri, Bhīṣma—putera Śāntanu, insan terunggul—menundukkan Śālva dalam pertempuran, hanya menyisakan nyawanya. Śālva pun pulang ke ibu kota dan memerintah menurut dharma. Demikian juga raja-raja lain yang datang untuk menyaksikan svayaṃvara kembali ke negeri masing-masing. Bhīṣma, terunggul dalam kalangan pahlawan yang menghentam musuh, berangkat ke Hastināpura bersama para puteri, tempat raja Kuru yang saleh, Vicitravīrya, memerintah bumi.

Word by Word

• अस्त्रेण: by a weapon (missile)
• अस्त्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• अस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• ऐन्द्रेण: with the Indra-related (weapon)
• ऐन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐन्द्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• न्यवधीत्: he struck down / killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तुरग-उत्तमान्: the best horses
• तुरग-उत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरग + उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma
• Śāntanu
• Śālva
• Hastināpura
• Vicitravīrya
• Indra (via Aindra astra)
• Aindra astra (Indra’s weapon)
• turaga (horses)
• kanyāḥ (the maidens/princesses)
• svayaṃvara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma includes restraint: Bhīṣma achieves his objective and defeats Śālva, yet spares his life, and the defeated king returns to righteous rule—showing that victory should restore order rather than become cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma uses the Aindra weapon to destroy Śālva’s best horses, wins the battle connected with the maidens’ svayaṃvara, and then departs for Hastināpura with the maidens for Vicitravīrya, while Śālva and the other kings withdraw to their kingdoms.