Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

तै: सायकैर्मोहितं वीक्ष्य शल्यं भीम: शरैरस्य चकर्त वर्म | स भीमसेनेन निकृत्तवर्मा मद्राधिपश्चर्म सहस्रतारम्‌

Transliteration

taiḥ sāyakair mohitaṃ vīkṣya śalyaṃ bhīmaḥ śarair asya cakarta varma | sa bhīmasenena nikṛttavarmā madrādhipaś carma sahasratāraṃ khaḍgaṃ ca gṛhītvā rathāt praskandya kuntīputraṃ prati dudrāva |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Thấy Śalya bị những mũi tên ấy làm cho choáng váng, Bhīma dùng tên của mình chém rách áo giáp của Śalya. Khi áo giáp đã bị Bhīmasena chặt đứt, Śalya—chúa tể xứ Madra, sức mạnh đáng sợ và tâm chí cao cả—cầm tấm khiên đóng nghìn đinh và thanh gươm, nhảy khỏi chiến xa, lao thẳng về phía người con của Kuntī.

Word by Word

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मोहितम्: bewildered, deluded
• मोहितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• शल्यं: Shalya
• शल्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• चकर्त: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृद्/कृत् (छेदने) (कृन्तति)
• Form: Perfect (Parasmaipada), 3, Singular

• वर्म: armor, cuirass
• वर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमसेनेन: by Bhimasena
• भीमसेनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• निकृत्तवर्मा: whose armor was cut off
• निकृत्तवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निकृत्त-वर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• चर्म: shield (leather)
• चर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सहस्रतारम्: marked with a thousand stars
• सहस्रतारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-तार
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• शल्य (Śalya)
• भीम / भीमसेन (Bhīma/Bhīmasena)
• मद्र (Madra)
• कुन्तीपुत्र (son of Kuntī)
• रथ (chariot)
• शर / सायक (arrows)
• वर्म (armour)
• चर्म (shield)
• खड्ग (sword)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness in battle: when one layer of protection (armour, chariot-advantage) is destroyed, the warrior does not abandon duty but adapts—taking up shield and sword and engaging directly. It also illustrates how ‘mohā’ (battlefield bewilderment) can be induced by skillful attack, yet resolve can reassert itself through disciplined courage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma’s arrows stun Śalya and then cut through his armour. Stripped of armour, Śalya—king of Madra—grabs an ornate shield and a sword, leaps down from his chariot, and charges toward the son of Kuntī (contextually the Pāṇḍava leader).