Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 29
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
तै: सायकैर्मोहितं वीक्ष्य शल्यं भीम: शरैरस्य चकर्त वर्म | स भीमसेनेन निकृत्तवर्मा मद्राधिपश्चर्म सहस्रतारम्
taiḥ sāyakair mohitaṃ vīkṣya śalyaṃ bhīmaḥ śarair asya cakarta varma | sa bhīmasenena nikṛttavarmā madrādhipaś carma sahasratāraṃ khaḍgaṃ ca gṛhītvā rathāt praskandya kuntīputraṃ prati dudrāva |
Sañjaya said: Seeing Śalya bewildered by those arrows, Bhīma with his shafts cut through Śalya’s armour. When his armour had been hewn away by Bhīmasena, Śalya—the lord of Madra, formidable in strength and high-minded—seized a shield marked with a thousand studs and a sword, leapt down from his chariot, and rushed toward the son of Kuntī.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of steadfastness in battle: when one layer of protection (armour, chariot-advantage) is destroyed, the warrior does not abandon duty but adapts—taking up shield and sword and engaging directly. It also illustrates how ‘mohā’ (battlefield bewilderment) can be induced by skillful attack, yet resolve can reassert itself through disciplined courage.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma’s arrows stun Śalya and then cut through his armour. Stripped of armour, Śalya—king of Madra—grabs an ornate shield and a sword, leaps down from his chariot, and charges toward the son of Kuntī (contextually the Pāṇḍava leader).
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.