Mahabharata 9.7.133 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 7, Shloka 133

Śalya Installed as Commander; Coalition Agreement and Battle Arrays (शल्यसेनापत्यारोहणं व्यूहवर्णनं च)

Devanagari script

निहनिष्यामि वा राजन्‌ स्वर्ग यास्यामि वा हतः । शल्यने कहा--राजन्‌! आज मैं रणभूमिमें पाण्डवों-सहित समस्त पांचालोंको मार डालूँगा या स्वयं ही मारा जाकर स्वर्गलोकमें जा पहुँचूँगा

Transliteration

nihaniṣyāmi vā rājan svargaṁ yāsyāmi vā hataḥ |

Translation

沙利耶对国王说道：“大王！今日在战场上，我要么诛尽般度五子并尽灭诸般遮罗；要么我若被杀，便往生天界。”

Word by Word

• निहनिष्यामि: I shall slay
• निहनिष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु: हन्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

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

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु: या)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• हतः: slain (having been killed)
• हतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (कृदन्त: हत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• King (rājan)
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior should face battle with unwavering resolve—seeking righteous victory, yet accepting death without fear, viewing a courageous fall in combat as a path to svarga.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya addresses the king and proclaims his determination for the coming fight: either he will kill the opposing forces, or he will be killed and thereby go to heaven—an emphatic pledge of commitment to the war’s outcome.