Mahabharata 9.18.123 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 18, Shloka 123
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
भ्रातरो वास्य ते शूरा दृश्यने नेह केन च । वे बहुसंख्यक महामनस्वी मद्रमहारथी विशाल पाण्डव-सेनाको मथकर जोर-जोरसे पुकार-पुकारकर कहने लगे--“कहाँ है वह राजा युधिष्ठिर? अथवा उसके वे शूरवीर भाई? वे सब यहाँ दिखायी क्यों नहीं देते?
sañjaya uvāca | bhrātaro vāsyate śūrā dṛśyante neha kena ca | te bahusaṅkhyakā mahāmanasvī madrāmahārathī viśālāṃ pāṇḍava-senāṃ mathitvā jora-jorena pukāra-pukārakaraṃ vadanti sma—“kva sa rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ? athavā tasya te śūrā bhrātaraḥ? te sarve ’tra kuto na dṛśyante?” |
سنجے نے کہا—تمہارے وہ بہادر بھائی یہاں کسی طرح بھی نظر نہیں آتے۔ بہت سوں سے گھرا ہوا مدر کا عالی ہمت مہارتھی، وسیع پانڈو لشکر کو چیرتا اور مَتھتا ہوا، بار بار بلند آواز سے پکارنے لگا—“وہ راجا یُدھشٹھِر کہاں ہے؟ اور اس کے دلیر بھائی کہاں ہیں؟ وہ سب یہاں کیوں دکھائی نہیں دیتے؟”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic where morale and perception matter: a leader’s visibility and the presence of key warriors sustain an army’s confidence. It also shows how verbal challenge functions as psychological warfare, testing resolve and provoking response within the framework of kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports that after the Madra great chariot-warrior (Śalya) has pressed hard into the Pāṇḍava forces, he loudly calls out, demanding to know where Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers are, taunting that they are not to be seen on the field.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.