Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 22

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

नकुल: समरे शक्ति सहदेवो गदां शुभाम्‌ | धर्मराज: शतघ्नीं च जिघांसु: शल्यमाहवे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nakulaḥ samare śaktiṃ sahadevo gadāṃ śubhām | dharmarājaḥ śataghnīṃ ca jighāṃsuḥ śalyam āhave | bhīmasenena prajvalita-sarpaka-samānān nārācān pracālitān | nakulena saṅgrāma-bhūmau śalye prati śaktiḥ kṣiptā | sahadevena sundarā gadā pracālitā | dharmarājena yudhiṣṭhireṇa raṇa-kṣetre śalyaṃ hantum icchatā śataghnī-praghātaḥ kṛtaḥ |

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—ท่ามกลางสมรภูมิ นกุลขว้างศักติ สหเทวะเหวี่ยงคทาอันงดงาม และธรรมราชยุธิษฐิระผู้มุ่งหมายจะสังหารศัลยะในศึก ได้ฟาดศตฆนีใส่เขา ภีมเสนดุจอสรพิษเพลิง ปล่อยนาราจอันคมกล้าออกไป ครั้นแล้วปาณฑพทั้งหลาย ต่างถืออาวุธประจำตน ผลักดันปณิธานแห่งธรรมะให้เป็นการกระทำท่ามกลางความโหดหินของสงคราม.

Word by Word

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शक्तिम्: a spear/javelin (śakti-weapon)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गदाम्: a mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शतघ्नीम्: a śataghnī weapon (stone/iron missile, 'hundred-slayer')
• शतघ्नीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतघ्नी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• जिघांसुः: wishing to kill
• जिघांसुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शल्यम्: Śalya
• शल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in the battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Śalya
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• gadā (mace)
• śataghnī (heavy missile weapon)
• nārāca (iron arrows)
• saṅgrāma-bhūmi (battlefield)
• raṇa-kṣetra (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, action is framed by intention and duty: the Pāṇḍavas act with focused resolve against a formidable foe, illustrating kṣatriya responsibility under dharma—decisive action undertaken for a perceived just cause, not for mere cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a coordinated assault on Śalya: Nakula hurls a spear, Sahadeva swings/launches a mace, Yudhiṣṭhira strikes with a śataghnī intending to kill Śalya, and Bhīma releases fierce arrows likened to a blazing serpent.