Mahabharata 9.14.5 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 14, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

अयोधयन्त समरे परिवार्य महारथा: । समरांगणमें द्रोणपुत्रको आगे करके कौरव महारथी अर्जुनको रथसमूहसे घेरकर उनके साथ युद्ध करने लगे ।। तैस्तु क्षिप्ता: शरा राजन्‌ कार्तस्वरविभूषिता:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

ayodhayanta samare parivārya mahārathāḥ |

samarāṅgaṇe droṇaputraṃ agre kṛtvā kauravā mahārathino 'rjunaṃ rathasamūhena gherayitvā tena saha yuddham akurvan ||

tais tu kṣiptāḥ śarā rājan kārtasvaravibhūṣitāḥ |

Translation

Wika ni Sanjaya: Naglaban ang mga dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe sa gitna ng digmaan, pinalilibutan siya sa lahat ng panig. Sa larangan ng labanan, ang mga kampeon ng Kaurava, inilagay sa unahan ang anak ni Droṇa, ay sumiksik kay Arjuna sa pamamagitan ng isang pulutong ng mga karwahe at nakipagsagupaan sa kanya. Pagkaraan, O Hari, ang mga palasong kanilang inihagis—na pinalamutian ng ginto—ay lumipad, lalo pang nagpasidhi sa bigat ng digmaan at sa panganib na bumabalot sa nag-iisang puntiryang napaliligiran.

Word by Word

• अयोधयन्त: they fought / they caused to fight
• अयोधयन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, 3, Plural

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

• परिवार्य: having surrounded / encircling
• परिवार्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active (parasmaipada sense)

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तु: but / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• क्षिप्ताः: thrown / hurled
• क्षिप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शराः: arrows
• शराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कार्तस्वरविभूषिताः: adorned with gold
• कार्तस्वरविभूषिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्तस्वर-विभूषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• King Dhritarashtra
• Arjuna
• Drona’s son (Ashvatthama)
• Kaurava maharathas
• chariots (ratha)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare amplifies through collective strategy—many elite warriors coordinating to isolate a single opponent. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between martial skill and the moral weight of escalating violence: tactical success can come through concentration of force, yet it also intensifies harm and tests the boundaries of kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that the Kaurava great chariot-warriors, with Aśvatthāmā placed at the front, surround Arjuna with a formation of chariots and attack him. They shower him with arrows, described as gold-adorned, emphasizing both the ferocity and the martial splendor of the assault.