Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 30

Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host

Devanagari script

गान्धारराजस्तु पुनर्वाक्यमाह ततो बली । निवर्तध्वमधर्मज्ञा युध्यध्वं कि सृतेन व:

Transliteration

gāndhārarājas tu punar vākyam āha tato balī | nivartadhvam adharmājñā yudhyadhvaṃ kiṃ sṛtena vaḥ ||

Translation

桑阇耶说：随后，强大的犍陀罗王又说道：“你们这些不知达摩之人！如此逃跑能得什么？转身回去作战吧！这般退却对你们有何用？”

Word by Word

• गान्धारराजः: the king of Gandhāra
• गान्धारराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• बली: the strong one
• बली: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निवर्तध्वम्: turn back/return
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत्
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural, Ātmanepada

• अधर्मज्ञाः: O knowers of adharma (unrighteous ones)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• युध्यध्वम्: fight
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Plural, Ātmanepada

• किम्: what?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्

• सृतेन: by fleeing/with flight
• सृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वः: for you/to you
• वः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gāndhārarāja (Śakuni)
• Gandhāra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames retreat from one’s appointed duty in battle as blameworthy: Śakuni rebukes the fleeing warriors as ‘ignorant of dharma’ and urges them to return and fight, highlighting the epic’s recurring tension between righteous duty (dharma) and disgraceful avoidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shalya Parva battle setting, Sañjaya reports that Śakuni, king of Gandhāra, addresses his side’s men who are turning back or fleeing, scolding them and commanding them to return to the fight.