Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 18
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
तामाशां हृदये कृत्वा समाश्चवस्य च भारत । मद्रराजं च समरे समाश्रित्य महारथम्
tām āśāṃ hṛdaye kṛtvā samāś ca vasya ca bhārata | madrarājaṃ ca samare samāśritya mahāratham ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, having fixed that hope firmly in his heart, and taking refuge in the mighty chariot-warrior—the king of Madra—amidst the battle, he set his course accordingly.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic of deliberate reliance: once a leader fixes an intention (āśā) internally, he seeks support from a proven mahāratha. It underscores how inner resolve and choosing capable allies shape action in crisis.
Sañjaya narrates that, with a particular hope in mind, the concerned party aligns himself with the Madrarāja Śalya—an eminent warrior—on the battlefield, indicating a strategic dependence on Śalya’s martial strength at this stage of the war.
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