Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

तत्राश्चर्यमपश्याम कुन्तीपुत्रे युथिष्ठिरे । पुरा भूत्वा मृदुर्दान्तो यत्‌ तदा दारुणो5भवत्‌

Transliteration

tatrāścaryam apaśyāma kuntīputre yudhiṣṭhire | purā bhūtvā mṛdur dānto yat tadā dāruṇo 'bhavat ||

Translation

在那里，我们在昆蒂之子由提施提罗身上见到一件惊异之事：他素来温和自持，而在那一刻却变得严厉而刚烈。

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: Avyaya (locative adverb)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, a marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्याम: we saw
• अपश्याम: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• कुन्तीपुत्रे: in Kunti's son
• कुन्तीपुत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्तीपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरे: in Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• भूत्वा: having been
• भूत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Absolutive (ktvānta), indeclinable

• मृदुः: gentle, soft-natured
• मृदुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दान्तः: self-controlled, restrained
• दान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: that (the fact that)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• दारुणः: harsh, fierce, severe
• दारुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuntī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a naturally gentle and disciplined person may need to adopt severity when dharma and responsibility demand it; ethical firmness in crisis can look like harshness, yet it can arise from duty rather than cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, amid the events of the Shalya Parva, he observed a striking change in Yudhiṣṭhira: the usually mild, self-controlled king appeared stern and formidable in that moment of the war.