Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 36
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
तस्मिंस्तु निहते शूरे चक्ररक्षे महारथे । मद्रराजो5पि बलवान् सैनिकानावृणोच्छरै:,अपने महारथी शूरवीर चक्ररक्षकके मारे जानेपर बलवान मद्रराजने भी बाणोंद्वारा शत्रुपक्षके समस्त योद्धाओंको आच्छादित कर दिया
tasmiṁstu nihate śūre cakrarakṣe mahārathe | madrarājo 'pi balavān sainikān āvṛṇoccharaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: When that heroic great chariot-warrior—the protector of the wheel-formation—had been slain, the mighty king of Madra, too, covered the opposing host of warriors with a dense shower of arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: when a crucial defender falls, a leader must respond decisively to protect the army and maintain the integrity of the battle-array. It also reflects the ethical tension of war—duty-driven action continues even amid loss.
After the death of a heroic mahāratha who was guarding the cakra (wheel/formation), Śalya, the powerful king of Madra, retaliates by unleashing a heavy volley of arrows that blankets the enemy warriors, attempting to regain control of the battlefield.
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