Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 40
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
एवं द्वन्द्शशतान्यासंस्त्वदीयानां परै:ः सह । घोररूपाणि चित्राणि तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! इस प्रकार जहाँ-तहाँ आपके सैनिकोंके शत्रुओंके साथ सैकड़ों भयानक एवं विचित्र द्वन्द्ययुद्ध होने लगे
evaṃ dvandvaśatāny āsan tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha | ghorarūpāṇi citrāṇi tatra tatra viśāṃpate prajānātha ||
Sañjaya sprach: So erhoben sich, o Herr der Völker, hier und dort Hunderte von Zweikämpfen zwischen deinen Kriegern und ihren Feinden—schrecklich anzusehen und seltsam in ihrer Vielfalt—denn die Schlacht war in zahllose persönliche Duelle zerfallen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragmentation of war into innumerable personal duels, highlighting the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya valor expressed through violence: courage and skill appear, yet the overall scene is dreadful and morally weighty, reminding the listener that kingship and warfare entail responsibility for widespread suffering.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that across the battlefield, in many different spots, hundreds of one-on-one fights erupted between the Kaurava warriors and their opponents, each duel appearing terrifying and unusually varied.