Mahabharata 9.13.32 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 32

Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation

Devanagari script

ततो राजन्‌ महाबाहुर्भीमसेन: प्रतापवान्‌ | संत्यज्य मनसा प्राणान्‌ मद्राधिपमयोधयत्‌

Transliteration

tato rājan mahābāhur bhīmasenaḥ pratāpavān | saṃtyajya manasā prāṇān madrādhipam ayodhayat ||

Translation

桑阇耶说道：于是，王啊，臂力雄伟、英勇无比的毗摩塞那——在心中已将自身性命置之度外——与摩陀罗之主展开了战斗。

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (राजन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु (महान् + बाहु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन (भीम + सेन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• प्रतापवान्: valiant, mighty
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रताप + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned, having given up
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त); पूर्वकाल

• मनसा: with (his) mind; mentally
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• मद्राधिपम्: the lord of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्राधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्राधिप (मद्र + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• अयोधयत्: made (him) fight; fought with; engaged in battle
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (युध्यते) [णिच्]
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Madrādhipa (King of Madra, Śalya)
• Madra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of unwavering resolve in battle—so intense that one mentally relinquishes attachment to life itself. Ethically, it points to the gravity of war: courage and duty can demand total commitment, yet that very commitment magnifies the moral burden and consequences of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, renowned for strength and prowess, steels himself to the point of mentally abandoning concern for his own life and then directly engages Śalya, the king of Madra, in combat.