Shloka 26
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
अथ भीमरथ: शाल्वमाशुगैरायसै: शितै: । षड्भि: साश्चव॒नियन्तारमनयद् यमसादनम्
atha bhīmarathaḥ śālvam āśugair āyasaiḥ śitaiḥ | ṣaḍbhiḥ sāśvavan-niyantāram anayad yamasādanam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann traf Bhīmaratha Śālva mit sechs schnellen, eisernen, rasiermesserscharfen Pfeilen und streckte ihn samt dem Wagenlenker, der die Zügel hielt, nieder—und sandte beide in Yamas Reich.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inexorable consequence of warfare: once battle-dharma is engaged, death becomes a near-certain outcome, and the narrative frames killing as a grim but accepted result of kṣatriya conflict—‘sending to Yama’s abode’ emphasizing mortality and karmic finality.
Sañjaya reports that the warrior Bhīmaratha shoots six swift, iron, sharp arrows at Śālva, killing him along with his charioteer (the one controlling the horses), thus removing both from the fight.