Mahabharata 9.17.833 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 833

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

Devanagari script

आनर्त च दुराधर्ष शितैर्बाणैरवारयत्‌ । रथसहित पाण्डवोंको, ट्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्नको तथा दुर्जय वीर आनर्तनरेशको सामने देखकर उसने तीखे बाणोंद्वारा उन सबको आगे बढ़नेसे रोक दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | ānartaṃ ca durādharṣaḥ śitair bāṇair avārayat | rathasahitaṃ pāṇḍavān drupadakumāraṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ tathā durjayaṃ vīram ānartanareśaṃ samīkṣya sa tīkṣṇabāṇair etān sarvān agre gamanāt nyavārayat |

Translation

三阇耶说道：他见阿那尔塔王强悍难当，又见般度五子乘车而来，并有德鲁帕陀之子持军的提湿陀昙那随行，便以锐利之箭遏止其前进。凭借锋锐箭矢之威，他将众人尽皆阻于前，不许再逼近，显出战场严酷之律：勇武与勇武相抗，亦以勇武相制。

Word by Word

• आनर्तम्: the king of Anarta / Anarta (person)
• आनर्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दुराधर्षम्: hard to assail, unassailable
• दुराधर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराधर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शितैः: with sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अवारयत्: he restrained / checked / stopped
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय् (√वृ, causative)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Ānarta
• Ānarta king (Ānartanareśa)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Drupada
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Chariot (ratha)
• Arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in battle, a warrior’s duty is to oppose the enemy’s advance with skill and courage. Ethically, it underscores disciplined restraint—power is used not for cruelty but to fulfill one’s role within the rules and necessities of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that a formidable warrior, upon seeing the Ānarta king along with the chariot-mounted Pāṇḍavas and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, shoots sharp arrows to stop them from moving forward, effectively checking their momentum on the battlefield.