Shloka 13

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

तत: शल्यो महाराज निर्विद्धस्तैर्महारथै:,इति श्रीमहाभारते शल्यपर्वणि शल्ययुद्धे त्रयोदशो5ध्याय:

Transliteration

tataḥ śalyo mahārāja nirviddhastair mahārathaiḥ | iti śrīmahābhārate śalyaparvaṇi śalyayuddhe trayodaśo 'dhyāyaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya disse: “Então Śalya, ó grande rei, foi trespassado e atingido por aqueles grandes guerreiros de carro.” Assim termina o décimo terceiro capítulo do Śalya Parva do Śrī Mahābhārata, na seção que descreve a batalha com Śalya — assinalando uma virada sombria na guerra, quando até os heróis mais eminentes são derrubados por uma força marcial concentrada.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शल्यःShalya

महाराजO great king

निर्विद्धःpierced, wounded

तैःby them

महारथैःby the great chariot-warriors

इतिthus

श्रीमहाभारतेin the revered Mahabharata

शल्यपर्वणिin the Shalya Parva

शल्ययुद्धेin the battle with Shalya / Shalya-battle

त्रयोदशःthirteenth

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

श

शल्य (Śalya)

म

महाराज (Mahārāja—Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

म

महामहारथ (mahāratha—great chariot-warriors)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a closing marker while underscoring a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, even the mightiest are vulnerable when many skilled warriors act in concert; prowess does not guarantee protection from the consequences of conflict, highlighting the tragic cost of adharma-driven escalation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya has been pierced/wounded by great chariot-warriors, and the text then formally concludes the chapter with the traditional colophon identifying the parva and chapter number.