Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

बभूव पाण्डवेयानां सैन्यं च मुदितं नूप । सूतपुत्रस्य निधने जयं लब्ध्वा च मारिष

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

babhūva pāṇḍaveyānāṁ sainyaṁ ca muditaṁ nṛpa |

sūtaputrasya nidhane jayaṁ labdhvā ca māriṣa |

iti satyaṁ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṁśayaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，般度诸子的军队欢欣鼓舞。因为车夫之子（迦尔纳）陨落之后，他们得胜而喜，仿佛已越过战阵之险。故我以真实告知你，杜尔约陀那——毫无疑虑。”

Word by Word

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), 3, singular

• पाण्डवेयानाम्: of the Pandavas' (people/side)
• पाण्डवेयानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डवेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

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

• मुदितम्: gladdened, delighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from मुद्/मुद्-धातु)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• सूतपुत्रस्य: of the charioteer's son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्रस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• निधने: in/at the death
• निधने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

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

• मारिष: O venerable sir
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• ब्रवीमि: I say/speak
• ब्रवीमि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 1, singular

• एषः: this (one/statement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• दुर्योधन: O Duryodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Duryodhana
• Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)
• Karna (Sūtaputra)
• Pāṇḍava army

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the fall of a single pivotal warrior can transform the moral and strategic atmosphere of a war: victory and confidence surge, and fear recedes. It also underscores the narrator’s insistence on truthful reporting amid propaganda and despair.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that after Karna (called the Sūta’s son) is killed, the Pāṇḍava forces feel they have secured victory and become openly jubilant, as though they have crossed beyond the most dangerous phase of the battle.