Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 29

Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

अजातशत्रुं कौन्तेयम भ्यधावद्‌ युधिष्ठिरम्‌ । महाबली मद्रराज मेघोंकी गर्जनाके समान सिंहनाद कर रहे थे। उनके द्वारा मारी जाती हुई पाण्डव-सेना भागकर अजातशत्रु कुन्तीकुमार युधिष्ठिरके पास चली गयी ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ajātaśatruṃ kaunteyam abhyadhāvad yudhiṣṭhiram | mahābalī madrarājaḥ meghānāṃ garjanā-samo siṃhanādaṃ karoti sma | tena tāḍyamānā pāṇḍava-senā bhagnā ajātaśatruṃ kuntīkumāraṃ yudhiṣṭhiraṃ prati jagāma || tāṃ sammṛdya tataḥ saṅkhye laghu-hastaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ |

Translation

Санджая сказал: Могучий царь Мадры Шалья ринулся к Юдхиштхире, сыну Кунти, прозванному Аджаташатру. Ревя, как лев, как гром облаков, он наводил ужас на поле. Войско Пандавов, сражаемое им, дрогнуло, рассыпалось и побежало к Аджаташатру Юдхиштхире. Затем, сокрушив их в сече, тот быстрорукий воин пронзал их острыми стрелами.

Word by Word

• अजातशत्रुम्: Ajātaśatru (Yudhiṣṭhira), the one whose enemies are not born
• अजातशत्रुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजातशत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कौन्तेयम्: the son of Kuntī (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• कौन्तेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यधावत्: ran towards / charged at
• अभ्यधावत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धाव्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

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

• ताम्: that (army/host)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्मर्द्य: having crushed / having trampled
• सम्मर्द्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-मृद्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap), Active

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• लघुहस्तः: he whose hand is swift (quick-handed)
• लघुहस्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघुहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Ajātaśatru, Kaunteya, Kuntīkumāra)
• Śalya (Madrarāja, king of Madra)
• Pāṇḍava army
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a ruler famed as Ajātaśatru—one who bears no enmity—must face the harsh necessities of kṣatriya-dharma in war: protecting the host, steadying morale, and meeting force with disciplined resolve rather than hatred.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya, the powerful king of Madra, charges toward Yudhiṣṭhira with a thunder-like lion-roar. His assault breaks the Pāṇḍava ranks, and the fleeing troops stream back toward Yudhiṣṭhira; Śalya then continues to overwhelm them with swift, sharp arrow-fire.