Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 2

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

ततो मुहूर्त स ध्यात्वा धार्तराष्ट्री महामना: । कृपं शारद्वतं वाक्यमित्युवाच परंतप:

Transliteration

tato muhūrtaṃ sa dhyātvā dhārtarāṣṭrī mahāmanāḥ | kṛpaṃ śāradvataṃ vākyam ity uvāca parantapaḥ ||

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਕੁਝ ਪਲ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਕੇ, ਵੈਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਤਪਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਦਾ ਉਹ ਮਹਾਮਨਸਵੀ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਦੁਰਯੋਧਨ, ਸ਼ਰਦਵਤ ਦੇ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਚਾਰਯ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਬੋਲਿਆ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ध्यात्वा: having reflected
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), indeclinable; action prior to main verb

• धार्तराष्ट्री: son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्री: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महामनाः: great-souled
• महामनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृपम्: Kripa
• कृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शारद्वतम्: son of Sharadvat
• शारद्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शारद्वत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति
• Form: Avyaya

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परंतपः: scorcher of foes
• परंतपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (a son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Kaurava prince)
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Śaradvat

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical value of restraint and reflection: before giving counsel or making decisions in a charged wartime context, a leader pauses to think, indicating that speech should follow deliberation rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that a Kaurava prince (a son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) briefly reflects and then addresses Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa, son of Śaradvat), introducing the prince’s forthcoming reply or instruction.