Mahabharata 9.21.9 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 9

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

तमायान्तं महाबाहुं प्रवपन्तं शितान्‌ शरान्‌ । जवेनाभ्यपतद्‌ धीमान्‌ हार्दिक्य: शिनिपुजड्भवम्‌

Transliteration

tam āyāntaṃ mahābāhuṃ pravapantaṃ śitān śarān | javena abhyapatad dhīmān hārdikyaḥ śinipuṇḍbhavam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：见到尸尼后裔、臂力无双的萨底耶迦一边逼近一边倾泻锐箭如雨，智者克利多伐摩——赫利底迦之子——便以极快的速度冲上前去与之对阵。此景彰显战势之不息：勇武与职责驱使武士以力对力，而暴力的伦理重负则在每一次交锋中默然相随。

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहुम्: mighty-armed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रवपन्तम्: showering/casting forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शितान्: sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जवेन: with speed
• जवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यपतत्: rushed at/charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धीमान्: wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हार्दिक्यः: Hārdikya (Kṛtavarmā)
• हार्दिक्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्दिक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिनिपुत्रभवम्: the descendant/son of Śini’s line (Sātyaki)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिनिपुत्रभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Kṛtavarmā
• Hṛdīka
• Śini
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos in wartime: when an opponent advances with lethal intent, a warrior bound by duty responds decisively. It implicitly points to the tension between strategic necessity and the moral gravity of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki advances while raining sharp arrows; Kṛtavarmā, described as wise and swift, charges forward to meet and oppose him, setting up a direct clash between the two warriors.