Shloka 15

शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12

Devanagari script

तौ गदाभिह्ठ तैगत्रि: क्षणेन रुधिरोक्षितौ । प्रेक्षणीयतरावास्तां पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ

Transliteration

tau gadābhighātair gātreṣu kṣaṇena rudhirokṣitau | prekṣaṇīyatarāv āstāṁ puṣpitāv iva kiṁśukau ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: От тяжких ударов их булав тела обоих воинов вмиг покрылись ранами и облились кровью. И всё же они стояли ещё более достойные взора — словно два дерева кимшука (палаша) в полном цвету, — являя мрачное великолепие доблести среди ярости войны.

Word by Word

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

• गदाभिघातैः: by blows of the mace
• गदाभिघातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदाभिघात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• गात्रेषु: on (their) limbs
• गात्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रुधिरोक्षितौ: sprinkled/covered with blood
• रुधिरोक्षितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर-उक्षित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• प्रेक्षणीयतरौ: more worth seeing, very splendid
• प्रेक्षणीयतरौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेक्षणीयतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• आस्ताम्: they two were/stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (आसँ उपवेशने)
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• पुष्पितौ: in bloom, flowered
• पुष्पितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• किंशुकौ: two palāśa trees (Butea monosperma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gadā (mace)
• kiṁśuka/palāśa tree

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of kṣatriya warfare: even amid grievous injury and bloodshed, steadfast courage and martial excellence are portrayed as a kind of terrible beauty. It invites reflection on how valor is admired while violence remains morally weighty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two combatants in a mace-duel who, after receiving deep blows, are quickly covered in blood. Despite their wounds, they appear striking—compared to two palāśa (kiṁśuka) trees blazing with red blossoms.