Shloka 100
शल्यश्न पुण्डरीकाक्षं तथैवाभिसमैक्षत | तत्राजयद् वासुदेव: शल्यं नयनसायकै:
śalyaś ca puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ tathaivābhisamaikṣata | tatrājayad vāsudevaḥ śalyaṃ nayana-sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Śalya, in the same manner, fixed his gaze upon Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Kṛṣṇa). There, Vāsudeva overcame Śalya with arrows aimed at the eyes—showing how, amid the fury of war, mastery and strategy can subdue even a formidable foe, and how the charioteer’s vigilant protection becomes a decisive moral force in safeguarding the righteous cause.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, victory is not merely brute force: alertness, protective duty, and precise strategy can restrain a powerful adversary. The verse highlights Vāsudeva’s role as a vigilant protector whose skill supports the dharmic side.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya turns his attention toward Kṛṣṇa (Puṇḍarīkākṣa). In that confrontation, Vāsudeva gains the upper hand over Śalya using arrows directed toward the eyes, indicating a tactical, disabling mode of combat.