Shloka 13

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

आकर्णपूर्णायतसम्प्रयुक्तै: शरैस्तदा संयति तैलधौतै: । अन्योन्यमाच्छादयतां महारथौ मद्राधिपश्चापि युधिष्ठिरश्ष

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

ākarṇapūrṇāyatasamprayuktaiḥ śarais tadā saṃyati tailadhautaiḥ |

anyonyam ācchādayatāṃ mahārathau madrādhipaś cāpi yudhiṣṭhiraś ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Khi ấy, giữa cơn giao chiến, hai đại xa chiến—Śalya, chúa tể xứ Madra, và Yudhiṣṭhira—kéo dây cung đến tận tai rồi buông ra hết tầm, bắn những mũi tên bóng loáng như vừa được rửa bằng dầu. Bằng những phi tiễn sắc bén ấy, họ bắt đầu che phủ lẫn nhau bằng mưa tên, mỗi người đều cố áp đảo đối phương bằng lớp tên dồn dập không ngừng.

Word by Word

• आकर्णपूर्णायतसम्प्रयुक्तैः: with (arrows) shot after drawing the bow to the ear, fully extended and well-released
• आकर्णपूर्णायतसम्प्रयुक्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकर्ण-पूर्ण-आयत-सम्प्रयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• संयति: in battle
• संयति: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयत्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तैलधौतैः: with oil-washed (arrows)
• तैलधौतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल-धौत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्योन्यम्: each other (mutually)
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य

• आच्छादयताम्: they two covered/overshadowed
• आच्छादयताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छद्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Dual

• महारथौ: the two great chariot-warriors
• महारथौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• मद्राधिपः: the king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्राधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्र-अधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Madra
• arrows (śarāḥ)
• battlefield/combat (saṃyati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Kṣatriya ideal of unwavering skill and resolve in battle, while implicitly underscoring the ethical gravity of war: even the most disciplined martial excellence unfolds within a tragic arena where duty and destruction coexist.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śalya (king of Madra) and Yudhiṣṭhira as they exchange fully drawn, oil-polished arrows, each attempting to ‘cover’ the other with a dense shower of missiles in direct chariot-to-chariot combat.