Shloka 523

शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12

Devanagari script

ट्रुमसेनं चतुःषष्ट्या निजघान महारथ: । इसके बाद महारथी युधिष्छिरने सत्तर बाणोंसे चन्द्रसेनको, नौ बाणोंसे शल्यके सारथिको और चौंसठ बाणोंसे ट्रमसेनको मार डाला

Transliteration

trumasenaṃ catuḥṣaṣṭyā nijaghāna mahārathaḥ |

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—مہارتھی نے چونسٹھ تیروں سے ترومسین کو گرا دیا۔ پھر یُدھشٹھِر نے ستر تیروں سے چندرسین کو، نو تیروں سے شلیہ کے سارتھی کو، اور چونسٹھ تیروں سے ترومسین کو بھی ہلاک کر دیا۔

Word by Word

ट्रुमसेनम्Trumasena (as object)

चतुःषष्ट्याwith sixty-four (arrows)

निजघानstruck down / slew

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Trumasena

Yudhiṣṭhira

Candrasena

Shalya

Shalya’s charioteer

arrows

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects kṣatriya-dharma in its hardest form: when war is already joined, a ruler must act decisively and skillfully to protect his side and uphold his pledged duty, while keeping violence purposeful rather than wanton.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a sequence of battlefield kills: Trumasena is brought down with sixty-four arrows; additionally, Yudhiṣṭhira strikes down Candrasena with seventy arrows and kills Shalya’s charioteer with nine arrows.