Shloka 28

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 186 — Drupada’s Summons and the Pāñcāla Reception

Devanagari script

तत: शल्यो महावीरो मद्रराजो महाबल: । तदप्यारोप्यमाणस्तु जानुभ्यामगमन्महीम्‌,तत्पश्चात्‌ महावीर एवं महाबली मद्रराज शल्य आये। पर उन्होंने भी उस धनुषको चढ़ाते समय धरतीपर घुटने टेक दिये

Transliteration

tataḥ śalyo mahāvīro madrarājo mahābalaḥ | tad apy āropyamāṇas tu jānubhyām agaman mahīm ||

Translation

ఆపై మహావీరుడూ మహాబలుడైన మద్రరాజు శల్యుడు వచ్చెను; కాని అతడూ ఆ ధనుస్సును ఎక్కించుచుండగా మోకాళ్లపై నేలకూలెను.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शल्यःShalya

महावीरःgreat hero

मद्रराजःking of Madra

महाबलःvery strong

तत्that (bow)

अपिalso, even

आरोप्यमाणःbeing mounted/strung (upon the bow)

तुbut, indeed

जानुभ्याम्with (his) two knees

अगमत्went, came down

महीम्to the ground/earth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śalya

Madra (kingdom)

the bow (dhanus)

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

What is the core teaching?

Even the strongest and most renowned can meet limits when faced with an exceptional challenge; true excellence requires not only power but the specific skill and steadiness demanded by dharmic tests of capability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya, famed as a mighty warrior and king of Madra, attempts to string/raise the bow, but while doing so he drops to his knees on the ground, indicating he cannot complete the feat with ease.