Mahabharata 9.24.59 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 24, Shloka 59

शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement

Devanagari script

आसीत्‌ सर्वमवच्छन्नं गाण्डीवप्रेषितै: शरैः । न प्राज्ञायन्त समरे दिशो वा प्रदिशोडपि वा

Transliteration

āsīt sarvam avacchannaṁ gāṇḍīva-preṣitaiḥ śaraiḥ | na prājñāyanta samare diśo vā pradiśo 'pi vā ||

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—گاندیو سے چھوٹے تیروں نے میدانِ جنگ کی ہر شے کو ڈھانپ لیا تھا؛ اس معرکے میں سمتیں اور ذیلی سمتیں تک پہچانی نہ جاتی تھیں۔

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• अवच्छन्नम्: covered, concealed
• अवच्छन्नम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-छद् (धातु) → अवच्छन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• गाण्डीव: Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna's bow)
• गाण्डीव: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental (in compound relation), singular

• प्रेषितैः: sent, discharged
• प्रेषितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु) → प्रेषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• शरैः: by arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• प्राज्ञायन्त: were perceived/known
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, plural, आत्मनेपद

• समरे: in the battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (निपात)

• प्रदिशः: intermediate directions
• प्रदिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (निपात)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna’s bow)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how unchecked martial force can overwhelm perception and order: in war, clarity and moral orientation are easily obscured, reminding the listener that power must be governed by discernment (viveka) and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield being completely covered by arrows shot from the Gāṇḍīva, to the extent that fighters could not distinguish even the main and intermediate directions amid the tumult.