Mahabharata 9.14.39 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 14, Shloka 39

Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)

Devanagari script

सुरथं तं ततः क्रुद्धमापतन्तं महारथम्‌

Transliteration

surathaṃ taṃ tataḥ kruddham āpatantaṃ mahāratham

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Pagkatapos, ang dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe, nagngangalit sa galit, ay sumugod pasulong sa kanyang karwaheng ganap ang sandata—itinutulak ang labanan sa poot at bugso, habang ang digmaan ay sumisikip tungo sa tuwirang sagupaan.

Word by Word

• सु-रथम्: the good chariot / well-equipped chariot
• सु-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him / that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• क्रुद्धम्: angry
• क्रुद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आपतन्तम्: rushing/charging (towards)
• आपतन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग) → आपतत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त) → आपतन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-रथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महा-रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• महāratha (great chariot-warrior)
• suratha (battle-chariot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) drives escalation in war: an elite warrior, seized by wrath, rushes into attack. Ethically, it points to the peril of letting rage govern action, even within a kṣatriya context where courage and duty are expected.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a great chariot-warrior, mounted on a fine battle-chariot, becomes enraged and charges forward to engage—signaling an imminent close encounter or renewed assault in the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.