Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 23
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततस्तु शल्यो नवश्रि: पृषत्कै- भीमस्य राज्ञश्वच युधिष्ठिरस्य । निकृत्य रौक्मे पटुवर्मणी तयो- विंदारयामास भुजौ महात्मा
tatastu śalyo navaśriḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ bhīmasya rājñaś ca yudhiṣṭhirasya | nikṛty raukme paṭuvarmaṇī tayoḥ vindārayāmāsa bhujau mahātmā ||
Sañjaya said: Then Śalya—freshly resplendent—struck with his arrows; cutting through the strong golden armours of Bhīma and King Yudhiṣṭhira, that great-souled warrior tore open the arms of them both. In the grim ethic of battle, prowess and resolve are displayed through such decisive blows, even as the suffering they cause underscores the terrible cost of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: excellence in arms and unwavering resolve are praised, yet the narrative simultaneously exposes the heavy human cost of such duty-bound violence.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya, shining with renewed vigor, shoots arrows that cut through the strong golden armours of Bhīma and King Yudhiṣṭhira and then rends both of their arms, marking a fierce escalation in the battle.
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