Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 38

Śalya Installed as Commander; Coalition Agreement and Battle Arrays (शल्यसेनापत्यारोहणं व्यूहवर्णनं च)

Devanagari script

प्रत्युद्याहि रणे पार्थ मद्रराज॑ महारथम्‌ । जहि चैनं महाबाहो वासवो नमुचिं यथा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | pratyudyāhi raṇe pārtha madrarājaṁ mahāratham | jahi cainaṁ mahābāho vāsavo namuciṁ yathā | iti satyaṁ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṁśayaḥ |

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ପାର୍ଥ, ରଣରେ ମଦ୍ରରାଜ ଏହି ମହାରଥୀଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରତିମୁଖ ହେବାକୁ ଆଗେଇ ଯାଅ। ହେ ମହାବାହୋ, ବାସବ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ଯେପରି ନମୁଚିକୁ ବଧ କରିଥିଲେ, ସେପରି ଏହାଙ୍କୁ ବଧ କର। ଦୁର୍ଯ୍ୟୋଧନ, ମୁଁ ସତ୍ୟ କହୁଛି; ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• प्रत्युद्याहि: advance/attack (go forth against)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-उद्-या (धातु: या)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• मद्रराजम्: the king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्रराजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• महारथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• जहि: slay
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु: हन्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

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

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (एन्-प्रयोगः)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• वासवः: Vasava (Indra)
• वासवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• नमुचिम्: Namuci (the demon)
• नमुचिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• सत्यं: truth
• सत्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• ब्रवीमि: I say/speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु: ब्रू)
• Form: लट् (present), 1, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• एषः: this (person/one)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (एष)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• दुर्योधन: O Duryodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Partha (Arjuna)
• Madra-raja (Shalya)
• Duryodhana
• Vasava (Indra)
• Namuci

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames battle as a kshatriya’s decisive duty: meet the foremost enemy directly and act without hesitation, while grounding the exhortation in a claim of truth (satya) and a paradigmatic divine precedent (Indra’s slaying of Namuci).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports an urgent martial exhortation: Arjuna (Partha) is urged to advance against the Madra king Shalya, described as a great chariot-warrior, and to kill him—likened to Indra’s mythic victory over the demon Namuci—while assuring Duryodhana that this assessment is certain.