Shloka 20
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
हाहाकृतमभूत् सैन्यं शाल्वस्य पृथिवीपते । नष्टसंज्ञे निपतिते तदा सौभपतौ नृूपे,पृथ्वीपते! उस समय सौभ विमानका स्वामी राजा शाल्व जब संज्ञाशून्य होकर धराशायी हो गया, तब उसकी समस्त सेनामें हाहाकार मच गया
hāhākṛtam abhūt sainyaṃ śālvasya pṛthivīpate | naṣṭasaṃjñe nipatite tadā saubhapatau nṛpe ||
أيها الملك، لما سقط شالڤا—سيدُ الأرض ومالكُ مدينة ساوبها الطائرة—فاقدًا للوعي، اضطرب جيشه كله وعمّته الفزعة، وارتفع صراخٌ عظيمٌ من الكرب. ويُظهر المشهد كيف تنهار الثقة القتالية سريعًا إذا ضُربت القيادة، وكيف تتعلّق تقلبات الحرب بثبات العقل وسلطان الأمر.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of collective morale in war: when the leader loses composure or is incapacitated, the army’s confidence collapses into chaos. It implicitly values steadiness, responsible command, and the ethical weight borne by rulers whose condition affects many.
Vāyudeva describes a battlefield moment: King Śālva, identified as the master of the Saubha aerial city, falls unconscious. Seeing their king down, Śālva’s troops erupt in a loud outcry and disorder.