Shloka 31

Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements

Devanagari script

शरैर्बहुभिरानर्च्छत्‌ कृतप्रतिकृतैषिणौ । छाद्यमानौ ततस्तौ तु माद्रीपुत्री न चेलतु:

Transliteration

śarair bahubhir ānarccchat kṛta-pratikṛtaiṣiṇau | chādyamānau tatas tau tu mādrī-putrī na celatuḥ, mahārāja! |

Translation

Санджая сказал: О царь, тогда Шалья, стремясь отплатить за нанесённые ему удары, поразил двух своих племянников — Накулу и Сахадеву — множеством стрел. И хотя их накрыл и прижал этот ливень древков, сыновья Мадри не дрогнули.

Word by Word

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आनर्च्छत्: he struck/assailed
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ् (आ-)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कृत: done, made
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रतिकृत: counter-done, retaliatory
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एषिणौ: desiring, seeking
• एषिणौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• छाद्यमानौ: being covered
• छाद्यमानौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छद्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• माद्री: of Madri
• Type: Noun
• Root: माद्री
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्री: sons
• पुत्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• चेलतुः: they two moved/wavered
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śalya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Mādrī
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield steadfastness: even when overwhelmed by hostile force, a warrior grounded in duty does not lose composure. It also implicitly contrasts disciplined courage with the impulse of retaliation that drives the exchange of blows.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya, seeking to repay earlier strikes, showers Nakula and Sahadeva with many arrows. Despite being covered by the arrow-storm, the two sons of Mādrī remain unmoved and do not falter.