Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

त्रिशिखां भ्रुकुटीं कृत्वा सक्किणी परिसंलिहन्‌

Transliteration

triśikhāṃ bhrukuṭīṃ kṛtvā sakkiṇī pariśaṃlihan, sa bhauṃhōṃko trijagahase ṭeṛhī karke apane galapharoṃko cāṭane lagā, aura surathakī ora roṣapūrvaka dekhakar dhanuṣkī pratyañcākoṃ sāpha karke usane yamadaṇḍa-samāna tejasvī tīkṣṇa nārācaka prahāra kiyā

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Hắn nhíu mày thành nếp cau ba tầng, liếm môi, rồi trừng mắt giận dữ về phía Suratha. Sau đó, chỉnh lại dây cung cho thẳng và sẵn sàng, hắn phóng một mũi tên nārāca sắc bén, rực sáng—đáng sợ như trượng của thần Yama—bộc lộ quyết tâm tàn khốc khi cơn giận lấn át mọi kiềm chế.

Word by Word

• त्रिशिखाम्: three-pointed (frown/crease)
• त्रिशिखाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशिखा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भ्रुकुटीम्: frown, knitted brow
• भ्रुकुटीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रुकुटी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active, Non-finite

• सक्किणी: the two cheeks/jowls
• सक्किणी: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सक्किणी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• परिसंलिहन्: licking all around
• परिसंलिहन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-सम्-लिह्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुरथम्: Suratha (name/person)
• सुरथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रोषपूर्वकम्: angrily, with wrath
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रोष-पूर्वक
• Form: true

• दृष्ट्वा: having looked at
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active, Non-finite

• धनुषः: of the bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रत्यञ्चाम्: bowstring
• प्रत्यञ्चाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यञ्चा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• परिमृज्य: having wiped/cleaned
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-मृज्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active, Non-finite

• यमदण्डसमम्: like Yama's staff
• यमदण्डसमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम-दण्ड-सम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तेजस्विनम्: radiant, powerful
• तेजस्विनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तीक्ष्णम्: sharp
• तीक्ष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नाराचम्: iron arrow, barbed shaft
• नाराचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्यत्: he hurled/shot
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (क्षेपणे)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Active

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Suratha
• bow (dhanuṣ)
• bowstring (pratyañcā)
• nārāca arrow
• Yama (as a simile: yamadaṇḍa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger manifests physically and quickly turns into lethal action. Ethically, it warns that krodha narrows judgment: once wrath takes over, the warrior’s skill becomes an instrument of death rather than disciplined duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a combatant’s furious preparation: he frowns, licks his lips, fixes his bowstring, and shoots a sharp nārāca at Suratha, likened to Yama’s staff to emphasize the deadly intent and imminent danger.