Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

स पपात रथोपस्थे तव पुत्रेण ताडित:

Transliteration

sa papāta rathopasthe tava putreṇa tāḍitaḥ

Translation

Сражённый ударом твоего сына, он рухнул на сиденье колесницы — образ того, как в ярости войны доблесть и жизнь могут быть опрокинуты в одно мгновение и как деяния собственной родни становятся на поле брани ближайшими орудиями судьбы.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रथोपस्थे: on the chariot-seat/platform
• रथोपस्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथोपस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, Second

• पुत्रेण: by (your) son
• पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ताडितः: struck/assailed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताडित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त), from √ताड्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• tava putra (your son; unspecified here)
• ratha (chariot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the fragility of life and status in war: a single blow can bring a warrior down, reminding the listener that violent action has immediate consequences and that kinship does not soften the mechanics of battlefield fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior (contextually identified in surrounding verses) is struck by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son and falls onto the chariot-seat, indicating a decisive hit and a sudden reversal in the combat scene.