Shloka 31
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
Devanagari script
शयान धार॑राष्ट्र तु सलिले स्तम्भिते तदा
Transliteration
śayān dhārarāṣṭra tu salile stambhite tadā
Translation
அப்போது தார்த்தராஷ்டிரன் (திருதராஷ்டிரப் புதல்வன்) நீரில் கிடந்தான்; அந்த வேளையில் நீரும் தடைப்பட்டதுபோல் அமைதியாக நின்றது.
Word by Word
शयानःlying down
शयानः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धार्तराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana)
धार्तराष्ट्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधार्तराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
सलिलेin the water
सलिले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
स्तम्भितेwhen (it was) made still/immobilized
स्तम्भिते:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootस्तम्भ् (धातु) → स्तम्भित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
तदाthen/at that time
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
Speaker
नारद उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
Dhātarāṣṭra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)W
water (salila)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse evokes helplessness before time and consequence: status and power cannot ultimately shield one from the results of actions and from mortality; ethical clarity and restraint matter more than pride or attachment.
Nārada describes Dhātarāṣṭra lying in/near water at a moment when the water is ‘stambhita’—checked or made still—setting a scene of suspension and vulnerability within the larger Shalya Parva narration.