Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 66
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
पाण्डवोंके चलाये हुए पैने बाणोंसे व्याप्त हो कौरवसेनाके मुख्य-मुख्य वीर मारे गये। वह सेना नष्ट होने लगी और चारों ओरसे उसकी गति अवरुद्ध हो गयी ।।
kauravyavadhyata camūḥ pāṇḍuputrair mahārathaiḥ | tathaiva pāṇḍavaṃ sainyaṃ śarai rājān samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The Kaurava host was being cut down by the Pāṇḍu princes—great chariot-warriors—while, on the other side, the Pāṇḍava army too was everywhere hemmed in and struck by showers of arrows. Thus the battle turned into mutual destruction: valor and skill rained death impartially, and the very movement of the troops was choked on all sides as the field filled with fallen heroes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tragic symmetry of war: even when fought by renowned heroes, violence spreads beyond intention and consumes both sides. It implicitly warns that adharma-driven conflict culminates in collective ruin, where prowess cannot prevent the moral and human cost.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava host is being slaughtered by the Pāṇḍava princes, while the Pāṇḍava army is simultaneously struck from all directions by arrows. The battlefield becomes congested and immobilized as casualties mount and movement is obstructed on every side.
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