शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
तावेन॑ प्रत्यविध्येतां पृथक् पृथगजिह्दगैः
tāvenā pratyavidhyetāṃ pṛthak pṛthag ajihmagaiḥ
قال سنجيا: ثم ردَّ الاثنان الضربة بالضربة، كلٌّ على حدة، بسهامٍ تمضي مستقيمةً مصيبة—تبادلٌ يُظهر أن القتال غدا منافسةً لا ترحم في المهارة والعزم.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethic of kṣātra warfare as portrayed in the epic: opponents answer force with force through disciplined skill. It underscores resolve and martial competence, while also implying the tragic momentum of retaliation that sustains the conflict.
Sañjaya narrates that two warriors counter-attack one another, each shooting straight-flying arrows. The focus is on the immediacy of exchange—mutual, individual strikes in the thick of battle.