Shloka 296

Devanagari script

अविध्येतां शरैस्ती3्ष्णैस्तदद्धभुतमिवाभवत्‌ । माताको आनन्दित करनेवाले माद्रीकुमार नकुल और सहदेवने अपने मामा शल्यको पैने बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया। यह अद्भुत-सी बात हुई

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | avidhyetāṃ śarais tīkṣṇais tad adbhutam ivābhavat |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“那俱罗与娑诃提婆——摩德丽之子、令母欢悦者——以锐利之箭射伤了他们的外舅沙利耶。此事竟似奇异非常。”

Word by Word

• अविध्येताम्: they two pierced/wounded
• अविध्येताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + व्यध् (व्यध्)
• Form: Lan (Imperfect), Parasmaipada, 3, Dual

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

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभवत्: became, happened
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Lan (Imperfect), Parasmaipada, 3, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Śalya
• Mādrī
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral tragedy of war: even revered family ties (nephews and maternal uncle) can be overridden by battlefield allegiance and the perceived demands of kṣatriya duty, making such violence feel 'adbhuta'—astonishing and unsettling.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the twin Pāṇḍava brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, strike their maternal uncle Śalya with sharp arrows, an unexpected and remarkable moment amid the fighting.