Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

परस्पर बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए महामना मद्रराज तथा पाण्डववीर युधिष्ठिरके धनुषकी प्रत्यंचाका महान्‌ शब्द इन्द्रके वजकी गड़गड़ाहटके समान जान पड़ता था ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

paraspara-bāṇānāṁ varṣāṁ kurvāṇau mahāmanā madrarājaś ca pāṇḍava-vīro yudhiṣṭhiraś ca dhanuṣaḥ praty-añcāyā mahān śabda indrasya vajrasya gaḍgaḍāhaṭa-samo babhūva ||

tau ceratur vyāghra-śiśu-prakāśau mahā-vaneṣv āmiṣa-gṛddhināv iva |

viṣāṇinau nāga-varāv ivobhau tatakṣatuḥ saṁyati jāta-darpau ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Khi bậc đại hùng—vua xứ Madra và dũng sĩ Pāṇḍava Yudhiṣṭhira—trút mưa tên lên nhau, tiếng dây cung vang dội của họ tựa tiếng sấm lôi chùy Indra. Lòng kiêu dũng bừng lên, cả hai xoay chuyển và xông đánh như đôi hổ con quần thảo trong rừng lớn vì cơn thèm mồi; và như hai voi chúa có ngà, họ liên tiếp giáng đòn lên nhau trên chiến địa.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• चेरतुः: moved/roamed/fought
• चेरतुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• व्याप्र-शिशु-प्रकाशौ: appearing like tiger-cubs
• व्याप्र-शिशु-प्रकाशौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• महा-वनेषु: in great forests
• महा-वनेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• आमिष-गृद्धिना: with greed for flesh
• आमिष-गृद्धिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष-गृद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• विषाणिनौ: having tusks/horns
• विषाणिनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषाणिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• नाग-वरौ: two excellent elephants
• नाग-वरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• ततक्षतुः: struck/smitten (each other)
• ततक्षतुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तक्ष्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

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

• जात-दर्पौ: with arisen pride
• जात-दर्पौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात-दर्प
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• मद्रराज (King of Madra—Śalya)
• युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• इन्द्र (Indra)
• वज्र (Vajra—thunderbolt)
• धनुष् (bow)
• प्रत्यञ्चा (bowstring)
• बाण (arrows)
• महावन (great forest—simile setting)
• व्याघ्रशिशु (tiger-cubs—simile)
• नागवर (great elephants—simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial pride (darpa) intensifies conflict: even noble warriors can become driven by competitive fury, depicted through predatory and elephantine imagery. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—kṣatriya duty in war versus the inner dangers of arrogance and bloodlust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śalya (king of Madra) and Yudhiṣṭhira exchanging dense volleys of arrows. The bowstring’s twang is compared to Indra’s thunderbolt, and their movements and impacts are likened to tiger-cubs fighting over prey and to two great tusked elephants battering each other in battle.