Shloka 163

शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host

with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter

Devanagari script

रथादवातरद्‌ वीर: शैलाग्रादिव केसरी । धनुष कट जानेपर रथहीन हुए वीर नकुल हाथमें ढाल-तलवार लेकर पर्वतके शिखरसे उतरनेवाले सिंहके समान रथसे नीचे आ गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rathād avātarad vīraḥ śailāgrād iva kesarī |

Translation

三阇耶说道：那位勇士从战车上跃下，宛如雄狮自山巅下行。弓既被斩断，他虽失却战车，却不弃勇毅与职责；遂执剑持盾，下车继续鏖战，在战乱喧嚣中仍守其坚决之志。

Word by Word

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अवातरद्: descended
• अवातरद्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शैलाग्रात्: from a mountain-peak
• शैलाग्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलाग्र
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• केसरी: a lion
• केसरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसरी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• lion (kesarī)
• mountain peak (śailāgra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when external supports are lost (such as a chariot), a warrior committed to duty does not collapse into fear or confusion; he adapts and continues with courage and steadiness, embodying kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a hero dismounting from his chariot in the midst of battle, compared to a lion coming down from a mountain peak—an image emphasizing fearless readiness to engage on foot.