Mahabharata 9.17.79 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 79

Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)

Devanagari script

अपोवाह तत): क्षिप्रं रथमारोप्य वीर्यवान्‌ | प्रभो! कृतवर्माको रथहीन हुआ देख शरद्वानके पराक्रमी पुत्र कृपाचार्य उसे शीघ्र ही अपने रथपर बिठाकर वहाँसे दूर हटा ले गये || ७८ $ ।।

Transliteration

madrarāje hate rājan virathe kṛtavarmaṇi | apovāha tataḥ kṣipraṁ ratham āropya vīryavān ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，摩陀罗之主既已被杀，克利多跋摩那又失了战车；英勇的克利波立刻将他扶上自己的车，带他撤离那处。”

Word by Word

• मद्रराजे: when the king of Madra (Shalya)
• मद्रराजे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रराज
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हते: having been slain
• हते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

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

• विरथे: being without a chariot
• विरथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृतवर्मणि: in/with respect to Kṛtavarman
• कृतवर्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Madrarāja (Śalya)
• Kṛtavarman
• Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)
• Ratha (chariot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid ruthless warfare, a warrior’s conduct includes responsibility toward comrades: protecting an ally who is suddenly vulnerable (chariotless) is presented as a mark of valor joined with loyalty and practical battlefield dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Madrarāja (Śalya) is slain, Kṛtavarman is left without his chariot. Kṛpācārya swiftly seats him on his own chariot and removes him from immediate danger, as Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.