Mahabharata 9.17.57 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 57

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

शकक्‍्त्या विभिन्नह्नदयं विप्रविद्धायुधध्वजम्‌

Transliteration

śaktyā vibhinnahṛdayaṃ vipraviddhāyudhadhvajam

Translation

ด้วยศัสตรา ‘ศักติ’ หทัยของเขาถูกผ่าแยก; ทั้งอาวุธและธงรบก็ถูกกระหน่ำจนแตกพัง

Word by Word

• शक्त्या: with a spear/javelin
• शक्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• विभिन्नहृदयं: whose heart was split/pierced
• विभिन्नहृदयं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभिन्नहृदय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विप्रविद्ध: well-pierced, struck through
• विप्रविद्ध: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-प्र-विद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयुधध्वजम्: Ayudhadhvaja (a warrior/one having weapons as his banner; proper name/epithet)
• आयुधध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुधध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• śakti (spear/javelin)
• āyudha (weapon)
• dhvaja (banner/standard)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly honor and martial identity: even weapons and banners—symbols of prowess and prestige—collapse before the stark reality of death in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior being struck by a spear so that his heart is split, and his weapon and banner are also hit—an image of decisive, devastating battlefield defeat.