Shloka 41

Adhyāya 22: Śālva’s Weapon-Shower, Dāruka’s Wounding, and the Māyā-Report of Vasudeva’s Father

Devanagari script

एवं निहत्य समरे सौभ॑ शाल्व॑ निपात्य च । आनर्तान्‌ पुनरागम्य सुहृदां प्रीतिमावहम्‌,धर्मराज! इस प्रकार युद्धमें सौभविमान तथा राजा शाल्वको नष्ट करके मैं पुनः आनर्तनगर [द्वारका)-में लौट आया और सुहृदोंका हर्ष बढ़ाया

Transliteration

evaṁ nihatya samare saubhaṁ śālvaṁ nipātya ca | ānartān punar āgamya suhṛdāṁ prītim āvaham dharmarāja |

Translation

我就这样在战场上摧毁了“娑乌婆”(Saubha)空中堡垒，又将沙尔瓦王(Śālva)击落斩败；随后我再度回到阿那尔塔(Ānarta)之地——即堕罗迦(Dvārakā)，使我那些怀善意的亲友们心生欢喜。噢，达摩罗阇(Dharmarāja)！

Word by Word

एवम्thus

निहत्यhaving slain

समरेin battle

सौभम्Saubha (the aerial city/vehicle)

शाल्वम्Śālva

निपात्यhaving felled/caused to fall

चand

आनर्तान्to the Ānarta country/people (i.e., Dvārakā region)

पुनःagain

आगम्यhaving come/returned

सुहृदाम्of friends/well-wishers

प्रीतिम्joy, delight

आवहन्bringing, causing

धर्मराजO Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

Saubha

Śālva

Ānarta

Dvārakā

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

suhṛd (well-wishing friends)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of using force for protection and restoration: after neutralizing a threat (Śālva and Saubha), the speaker returns to safeguard communal well-being and to restore the joy and security of one’s allies and friends.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva recounts that he destroyed Saubha and defeated King Śālva in battle, then returned to Ānarta/Dvārakā, bringing happiness to his well-wishers, while addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as Dharmarāja.