Shloka 56

Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

शल्यस्तु शरवर्षेण पीडयामास पाण्डवम्‌ | मद्रराजं तु कौन्तेय: शरवर्षैरवाकिरत्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śalyas tu śaravarṣeṇa pīḍayāmāsa pāṇḍavam | madrarājaṃ tu kaunteyaḥ śaravarṣair avākirat |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Śalya dùng mưa tên quấy nhiễu Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira). Và con của Kuntī cũng đáp trả, trút những loạt tên dày đặc phủ kín vua Śalya xứ Madra.

Word by Word

• शल्यः: Shalya
• शल्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• शरवर्षेण: by a shower of arrows
• शरवर्षेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पीडयामास: tormented/afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• पाण्डवम्: the Pandava (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मद्रराजम्: the king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्रराजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• कौन्तेयः: the son of Kunti (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• कौन्तेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरवर्षैः: with showers of arrows
• शरवर्षैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अवाकिरत्: covered/sprinkled over (showered upon)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवकिॄ
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Madra (as Śalya’s kingdom/epithet: madrarāja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reciprocity of warfare: aggression is met with counter-aggression, and martial duty (kṣatriya-dharma) demands steadfast response even when the action itself is violent. It reflects endurance and resolve rather than a moral celebration of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a direct exchange in battle: Śalya showers Yudhiṣṭhira with arrows, causing him distress, and Yudhiṣṭhira retaliates by covering Śalya with an answering rain of arrows.