Shloka 42
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
चतुर्भिश्वतुरो वाहान् ध्वजं छित्त्वा च पञचभि:
caturbhiś caturaḥ vāhān dhvajaṃ chittvā ca pañcabhiḥ
Sañjaya sprach: Mit vier (Pfeilen) streckte er die vier Pferde nieder, und mit fünf hieb er das Banner ab—eine Tat, die die erbarmungslose Präzision der Kriegskunst zeigt: Man zielt nicht nur darauf, den Krieger zu verwunden, sondern die Macht des Wagens und den Mut zu brechen, indem man Stützen und Sinnbild trifft.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, effectiveness often lies in disabling the opponent’s capacity and morale (horses and banner) rather than merely striking the person—showing the ethical tension of kṣatriya warfare where skill serves victory within the harsh logic of battle.
Sañjaya reports a combat feat: a warrior (implied from context) shoots with such accuracy that four horses are cut down with four shots, and the chariot’s banner is severed with five, crippling mobility and symbolically humiliating the opponent.