Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

निजघान ततो राजंश्वेदीन्‌ वै पज्चविंशतिम्‌ । महात्मा पाण्डवके द्वारा अपने चक्ररक्षकके मारे जानेपर राजा शल्यने पचीस चेदि- योद्धाओंका संहार कर डाला || ५३ $ || सात्यकिं पड्चविंशत्या भीमसेनं च पठ्चभि:

Transliteration

nijaghāna tato rājan śvedīn vai pañcaviṁśatim | sāt yakiṁ pañcaviṁśatyā bhīmasenaṁ ca pañcabhiḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Затем, о царь, Шалья сразил двадцать пять воинов Чеди (Шведи). Он также осыпал Сатьяки двадцатью пятью (стрелами), а Бхимасену — пятью, продолжая беспощадный обмен ударами на поле брани.

Word by Word

• निजघान: slew/struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), 3, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• चेदीन्: the Cedi (warriors/people)
• चेदीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• वै: indeed/for sure
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)

• पञ्चविंशतिम्: twenty-five (as a number)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• राजन् (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by address)
• शल्य (Śalya, implied by context)
• चेदि/श्वेदि योद्धा (Cedi/Śvedi warriors)
• सात्यकि (Sātyaki)
• भीमसेन (Bhīmasena)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim momentum of war: martial duty and wrath drive warriors to relentless slaughter, reminding the listener that even ‘heroic’ action carries heavy ethical weight and human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the King that Śalya, enraged and active in combat, kills twenty-five Cedi/Śvedi fighters and then targets Sātyaki with twenty-five arrows and Bhīma with five, intensifying the battle’s violence.