Shloka 44

Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

उसके मूर्च्छित हो जानेपर भीमसेनने फिर क्षुरप्रके द्वारा उसके सारथिका ही सिर धड़से अलग कर दिया ।।

Transliteration

hatāsūtā hayās tasya ratham ādāya bhārata | vyadravan diśo rājan hāhākāras tadābhavat ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：当他的御者被杀之后，那些仍系在战车上的战马便惊奔四散，向四方狂驰，噢，婆罗多的后裔。就在那一刻，噢，大王，你的军中爆发出巨大的惊惶与混乱的呼号。

Word by Word

• हतसूता: whose charioteer was slain
• हतसूता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हतसूता (हत + सूत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken / carrying along
• आदाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), indeclinable

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• व्यद्रवन्त: ran off / fled
• व्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + द्रु
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हाहाकारः: a great cry / uproar
• हाहाकारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाहाकार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: true

• अभवत्: arose / happened / was
• अभवत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocatives Bhārata, Rājan)
• charioteer (sūta)
• horses (hayāḥ)
• chariot (ratha)
• Kaurava army (implied: 'your army')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the interdependence of roles in dharmic warfare: when a crucial support figure (the charioteer) falls, control collapses and panic spreads. It points to the ethical and practical reality that violence produces cascading disorder, affecting not only combatants but the entire fighting body.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that after the charioteer is killed, the horses—still attached to the chariot—run wildly in all directions. This triggers a loud uproar and confusion in Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s forces.