Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 40

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

Book 9, Chapter 11

Devanagari script

एवं द्वन्द्शशतान्यासंस्त्वदीयानां परै:ः सह । घोररूपाणि चित्राणि तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! इस प्रकार जहाँ-तहाँ आपके सैनिकोंके शत्रुओंके साथ सैकड़ों भयानक एवं विचित्र द्वन्द्ययुद्ध होने लगे

Transliteration

evaṃ dvandvaśatāny āsan tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha | ghorarūpāṇi citrāṇi tatra tatra viśāṃpate prajānātha ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—ఓ ప్రజానాథా! ఈ విధంగా మీ సైనికులు మరియు వారి శత్రువుల మధ్య అక్కడక్కడా వందల సంఖ్యలో భయంకరమైన, విచిత్రమైన ఏకయుద్ధాలు చెలరేగాయి.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• द्वन्द्व-शतानि: hundreds of duels
• द्वन्द्व-शतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व-शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• त्वदीयानाम्: of your (people/soldiers)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परैः: with/against the enemies (others)
• परैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• घोर-रूपाणि: terrible in form
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर-रूप
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• चित्राणि: variegated, strange, wondrous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तत्र: there (here and there)
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• विशाम्-पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रजा-नाथ: O ruler/lord of subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजानाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (implied by vocatives viśāṃpate, prajānātha)
• Kaurava forces (tvadīyāḥ, implied)
• Opposing forces/enemies (parāḥ, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the fragmentation of war into innumerable personal duels, highlighting the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya valor expressed through violence: courage and skill appear, yet the overall scene is dreadful and morally weighty, reminding the listener that kingship and warfare entail responsibility for widespread suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that across the battlefield, in many different spots, hundreds of one-on-one fights erupted between the Kaurava warriors and their opponents, each duel appearing terrifying and unusually varied.