Shloka 593

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

Devanagari script

अभ्यवर्षदमेयात्मा क्षत्रियान्‌ क्षत्रियर्षभ: । अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न क्षत्रियशिरोमणि शल्य वृष्टिकारी मेघके समान क्षत्रियोंपर बाणोंकी वर्षा कर रहे थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | abhyavarṣad ameyātmā kṣatriyān kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ | ameya-ātmabalasaṃpannaḥ kṣatriyaśiromaṇiḥ śalyaḥ vṛṣṭikārī meghaka iva kṣatriyopari bāṇānāṃ varṣāṃ karoti sma |

Translation

Санджая сказал: Шалья — бык среди воинов, с духом неизмеримым и силой без предела — обрушил на кшатриев дождь стрел. Подобно туче, несущей ливень, этот венец ратников пролил бурю древков на противостоящих бойцов.

Word by Word

• अभ्यवर्षत्: rained upon, showered (arrows) on
• अभ्यवर्षत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (वर्षणे)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अमेयात्मा: of immeasurable spirit/self
• अमेयात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमेय-आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियान्: the Kshatriyas (warriors)
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• क्षत्रियर्षभः: bull among Kshatriyas (best of warriors)
• क्षत्रियर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Shalya
• kshatriyas
• arrows
• rain-bearing cloud (simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the idealized kshatriya ethos of relentless martial prowess and steadfast resolve in battle, while implicitly reminding the listener that war magnifies both courage and suffering—testing how duty (dharma) is pursued amid destructive force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Shalya as an extraordinary warrior who overwhelms the opposing fighters by showering them with arrows, compared to a cloud pouring rain—an image emphasizing the intensity and scale of the combat.