Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

बलेन तेन विक्रम्य वर्तमाने जनक्षये । पृष्ठत: पाण्डवानीकम भ्यध्नन्निशितै: शरै:

Transliteration

balena tena vikramya vartamāne janakṣaye | pṛṣṭhataḥ pāṇḍavānīkam abhyadhnan niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“他聚起气力，趁屠戮正炽而奋勇推进，以锐箭自后方射击般度子军——使战斗化作对背后受袭者的残酷突击。”

Word by Word

• बलेन: by force/strength
• बलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विक्रम्य: having advanced/stridden forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-क्रम्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• वर्तमाने: while occurring/going on
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present participle (शतृ/शानच्), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जनक्षये: in the destruction of people (slaughter)
• जनक्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पृष्ठतः: from behind/at the rear
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठ
• Form: Adverb (ablatival form)

• पाण्डवानीकम्: the Pandava army/host
• पाण्डवानीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव-अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्यध्नन्: they struck/slew/assailed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pandavas (Pāṇḍavāḥ)
• Pandava army (Pāṇḍavānīka)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, amid mass slaughter, tactical aggression can override restraint; it implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct and the moral tension between battlefield success and fair combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the height of the killing, the attackers advance with force and strike the Pandava formation from the rear using sharp arrows, intensifying confusion and casualties in the Pandava ranks.