Shloka 453

Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra

Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

मुज्चन्‌ बाणमयं वर्ष प्रायाच्छल्यरथं प्रति । वह विशाल रथ-सेनाके द्वारा सब ओरसे घिरकर बाणोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ शल्यके रथपर चढ़ आया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | muñcan bāṇamayaṃ varṣaṃ prāyāc chalyarathaṃ prati |

Translation

三阇耶说道：瓦哈倾泻箭雨——虽被庞大的战车军从四面合围——仍奋然推进，逼近了沙利耶的战车。

Word by Word

• मुञ्चन्: releasing, discharging
• मुञ्चन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बाणमयम्: consisting of arrows
• बाणमयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाणमय
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वर्षम्: a shower, rain
• वर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रायात्: went forth, advanced
• प्रायात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या
• Form: लुङ् (अorist), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शल्यरथम्: Shalya's chariot
• शल्यरथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्यरथ
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards, against
• प्रति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vaha
• Śalya
• chariot (ratha)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣātra-vīrya (martial valor) expressed as unwavering advance under pressure: even when surrounded, a warrior persists in his chosen objective. Ethically, it reflects the battlefield ideal of steadfastness and resolve within one’s role (svadharma), without commenting on ultimate righteousness of the war itself.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Vaha advancing toward Śalya’s chariot while continuously releasing a dense barrage of arrows, despite being hemmed in by a large chariot-host on all sides.