Mahabharata 9.11.22 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 11, Shloka 22

Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

द्रौपदेयांस्तथा सर्वान्‌ माद्रीपुत्रौी च पाण्डवौ । धृष्टद्युम्नं च शैनेयं शिखण्डिनमथापि च

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

draupadeyāṁs tathā sarvān mādrīputrau ca pāṇḍavau |

dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ ca śaineyaṁ śikhaṇḍinam athāpi ca ||

Translation

द्रौपदेयांस्तथा सर्वान् माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ । धृष्टद्युम्नं च शैनेयं शिखण्डिनमथापि च ॥

Word by Word

• द्रौपदेयान्: the sons of Draupadī
• द्रौपदेयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• माद्रीपुत्रौ: the two sons of Mādrī (Nakula and Sahadeva)
• माद्रीपुत्रौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माद्रीपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

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

• पाण्डवौ: the two Pāṇḍavas (here: Nakula and Sahadeva)
• पाण्डवौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• शैनेयम्: Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शिखण्डिनम्: Śikhaṇḍin
• शिखण्डिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Draupadeyas (sons of Draupadī)
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• Śikhaṇḍin
• arrows (bāṇas)
• Indra
• rainy season (varṣākāla)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the relentless force of battle and the kṣatriya ideal of martial prowess, while implicitly reminding the listener that even justified warfare carries ethical gravity: violence falls upon relatives and allies, and victory is pursued through disciplined, concentrated action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a powerful warrior strikes key Pāṇḍava-side fighters—Draupadī’s sons, Nakula and Sahadeva, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Sātyaki, and Śikhaṇḍin—each with ten arrows, and then unleashes a dense barrage of arrows likened to Indra’s monsoon rain.