Shloka 573

शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12

Devanagari script

निपतन्तमपश्याम गिरिशृज्भमिवाहतम्‌ । महात्मा पाण्डुपुत्रके द्वारा कटकर गिरते हुए उस ध्वजको हमलोगोंने वज्ञजके आघातसे टूटकर नीचे गिरनेवाले पर्वत-शिखरके समान देखा था

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nipatantam apaśyāma giriśṛṅgam ivāhatam |

Translation

三阇耶说道：我们看见它坠落——宛如被重击削断的山巅。那般，潘度之子的大旗被从根部斩断，倾覆而下，恰似峭岩在猛力一击下崩裂坠地。此象征昭示：在战争中，当命运与武力交汇之时，即便最为骄矜的权势徽记，也会显得脆弱不堪。

Word by Word

• निपतन्तम्: falling down
• निपतन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: निपत् (धातु) → निपतन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 1st, Plural, परस्मैपद

• गिरिशृङ्गम्: a mountain-peak
• गिरिशृङ्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिशृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• आहतम्: struck, smitten
• आहतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आहन् (धातु) → आहत (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍuputra (son of Pāṇḍu)
• dhvaja (banner/standard)
• giriśṛṅga (mountain peak)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a stark simile—an emblem (the banner) collapsing like a struck mountain-peak—to highlight the impermanence of martial glory and the vulnerability of even the greatest warriors’ symbols amid the destructive momentum of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the banner/standard associated with a Pāṇḍava warrior was cut at its base and seen falling, its descent compared to a mountain-peak brought down by a powerful удар (blow).