Shloka 38

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

तच्छुत्वा तव पुत्रस्य शूरार्यसदृशं वच: । सारथिहेंमसंछन्नान्‌ शनैरश्वानचोदयत्‌,राजन! आपके पुत्रका यह श्रेष्ठ वीरोचित वचन सुनकर सारथिने सोनेके साज-बाजसे सजे हुए घोड़ोंको धीरे-धीरे आगे बढ़ाया

Transliteration

tac chrutvā tava putrasya śūrāryasadṛśaṃ vacaḥ | sārathir hemasaṃchannān śanair aśvān acodayat, rājan |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Nghe những lời cao quý, đậm khí phách chiến binh của con trai ngài, tâu Đại vương, người đánh xe liền nhẹ nhàng thúc những con ngựa khoác đồ trang sức bằng vàng tiến lên chậm rãi.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (speech/statement)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रस्य: of (your) son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शूर: heroic
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्य: noble
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सदृशम्: similar/like
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सारथिः: the charioteer
• सारथिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हेम: gold
• Type: Noun (used as first member)
• Root: हेम
• Form: Neuter, —, —

• संछन्नान्: covered/overlaid
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-छद् (धातु) / छन्न (क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शनैः: slowly, gradually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अचोदयत्: urged/drove (forward)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुद् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (contextually Duryodhana)
• charioteer (sārathi)
• horses (aśvāḥ)
• golden trappings (hema-saṃchanna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights controlled martial conduct: even after hearing a rousing, noble call to action, the charioteer advances slowly and deliberately, implying discipline, coordination, and strategic restraint rather than impulsive aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, upon hearing the heroic words of the king’s son, the charioteer gently drives the gold-adorned horses forward, moving the chariot into position for the next phase of battle.