Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 11

Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host

Devanagari script

ते समन्तान्महाराज परिवार्य युधिष्ठिरम्‌ । अदृश्यं सायकैश्षक्रुमेंघा इव दिवाकरम्‌

Transliteration

te samantān mahārāja parivārya yudhiṣṭhiram | adṛśyaṃ sāyakaiḥ śakra-meghā iva divākaram ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Ó rei, aqueles guerreiros cercaram Yudhiṣṭhira por todos os lados e, com uma chuva densa de flechas, fizeram-no desaparecer da vista—como nuvens de tempestade podem velar o sol.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समन्तात्: on all sides, all around
• समन्तात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात्

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परिवार्य: having surrounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada (root-based)

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अदृश्यम्: invisible (not to be seen)
• अदृश्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शक्रम्: Indra (Śakra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मेघाः: clouds
• मेघाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• दिवाकरम्: the sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• arrows (sāyaka)
• sun (divākara)
• clouds (megha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how external violence and confusion in battle can temporarily obscure even a dharmic leader, yet the comparison to the sun implies enduring inner steadiness: righteousness may be covered from view, not extinguished.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that enemy warriors encircle Yudhiṣṭhira and unleash such a barrage of arrows that he cannot be seen, like the sun hidden by storm clouds.