Shloka 20

रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield

Devanagari script

तान्‌ समाश्चास्य योधांस्तु मद्रराज: प्रतापवान्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tān samāśvāsya yodhāṁs tu madrarājaḥ pratāpavān mahārāja | tataḥ pratāpī mahārathī madrarājaḥ śalyaḥ samṛddhiśālinaṁ sarvatobhadra-nāmakaṁ vyūhaṁ kṛtvā bhāranāśakaḥ atyanta-vegāś ca vicitra-dhanuḥ kampayan sindhī-aśva-yukta-śreṣṭha-rathaṁ samāruhya pāṇḍavān abhyadravat ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: О царь, доблестный владыка Мадры сперва ободрил тех воинов. Затем Шалья, великий колесничий боец и повелитель Мадры, выстроил благополучный боевой порядок, именуемый «Сарватобхадра». Взойдя на превосходную колесницу, запряжённую синдхийскими конями, потрясая своим дивным луком и мчась с сокрушительной силой и предельной быстротой, он ринулся в атаку на Пандавов.

Word by Word

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समाश्वास्य: having reassured/encouraged
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्वस्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• योधान्: warriors
• योधान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योद्धृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मद्रराजः: the king of Madra
• मद्रराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)
• Madrarāja Śalya
• Madra (kingdom)
• Sarvatobhadra vyūha (battle formation)
• Sindhī horses
• Chariot (ratha)
• Bow (dhanuḥ)
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya leadership in war: a commander steadies his troops, arranges a protective formation, and advances decisively. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—valor and tactical excellence can be displayed even in a conflict whose larger moral weight remains tragic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya, king of Madra, encourages his warriors, forms the Sarvatobhadra battle-array, mounts a fine chariot drawn by Sindhī horses, and charges to attack the Pāṇḍavas.