Shloka 34

Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam

A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement

Devanagari script

यदुसदनमुपेन्द्रपालितं त्रिदशमिवामरराजरक्षितम्‌ | प्रसभमतिविलोड्‌्य को हरेत्‌ पुरुषवरावरजामृते<र्जुनात्‌

Transliteration

yadu-sadanam upendra-pālitaṁ tridaśam ivāmara-rāja-rakṣitam | prasabham ati-viloḍya ko haret puruṣa-vara-avarajām ṛte 'rjunāt ||

Translation

ଶଲ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—“ଉପେନ୍ଦ୍ର (ବିଷ୍ଣୁ) ଦ୍ୱାରା ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ ଏବଂ ଦେବରାଜ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ରକ୍ଷିତ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗସଦୃଶ ସେହି ଯଦୁ-ଦୁର୍ଗକୁ ବଳପୂର୍ବକ ଭେଦି ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ଲୁଟିପାରିବ—ନରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠଙ୍କ ଅନୁଜ ଅର୍ଜୁନ ବ୍ୟତୀତ—ଆଉ କିଏ?”

Word by Word

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यदु-सदनम्: the abode of the Yadus (Dvaraka)
• यदु-सदनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उपेन्द्र-पालितम्: protected by Upendra (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिदशम्: the gods (lit. thirty)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अमर-राज-रक्षितम्: guarded by the king of the immortals (Indra)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रसभम्: forcibly, violently
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसभम्

• अति-विलोड्य: having excessively plundered/overturned
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-लुड्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हरेत्: could take away / would seize
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Vidhi-linga (optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरुष-वर-अवरजाम्: the younger sister of the best of men (Arjuna)
• पुरुष-वर-अवरजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवरजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ऋते: without, except (with ablative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते

• अर्जुनात्: from Arjuna
• अर्जुनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Yadus (Yādavas)
• Upendra (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Indra (Amararāja)
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores discernment in judging capability: truly extraordinary achievements require extraordinary agents. By likening the Yadu stronghold to heaven under divine protection, Śalya highlights that only a uniquely empowered hero (Arjuna) could accomplish such a breach—implying humility before proven excellence and the limits of ordinary force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya, speaking in the Karṇa Parva context, emphasizes Arjuna’s exceptional prowess by posing a rhetorical question: who else could violently penetrate and plunder the Yādava seat, a place imagined as divinely guarded by Upendra and as secure as Indra’s heaven? The statement functions as pointed praise and as a strategic reminder of Arjuna’s unmatched strength.