Shloka 65

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

हत्वेह सुखमाप्रोति हतः प्रेत्य महत्‌ फलम्‌ । न युद्धधर्माच्छेयान्‌ वै पन्था: स्वर्गस्थ कौरवा:

Transliteration

hatveha sukham āpnoti hataḥ pretya mahat phalam | na yuddhadharmāc chreyān vai panthāḥ svargastha kauravāḥ ||

Translation

ผู้ใดสังหารศัตรูได้ในที่นี้ ย่อมได้สุขในโลกนี้; แต่หากตนถูกสังหาร ครั้นตายแล้วก็ได้ผลอันยิ่งใหญ่ในปรโลก โอ้เหล่ากุรุผู้ใฝ่สวรรค์ แท้จริงไม่มีหนทางใดประเสริฐกว่าธรรมแห่งการรบ

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-भाव, non-finite

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, Present, Third, Singular, परस्मैपद

• हतः: being slain / slain (one)
• हतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेत्य: after death / having departed
• प्रेत्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) used adverbially

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: reward, fruit (result)
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• युद्धधर्मात्: than the duty of battle / from the law of war
• युद्धधर्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्धधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• श्रेयान्: better, more excellent
• श्रेयान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पन्थाः: path, way
• पन्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पन्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्गस्थ: O you who are in heaven
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्गस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• कौरवाः: O Kauravas
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kauravas
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a kṣatriya-centered ethic: engaging in righteous battle (yuddha-dharma) is presented as the highest path for those seeking heaven—victory brings worldly gain, while death in such duty brings great posthumous reward.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, frames the ongoing combat in Shalya Parva as aligned with warrior duty, encouraging the Kaurava perspective that battle offers either immediate success or heavenly merit if one falls.