Shloka 583
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
पोथयामास शल्यस्य चतुरो<श्चवान् महाजवान् | युद्धकुशल भीमसेनने भयंकर शब्द करनेवाली उस गदाके द्वारा शल्यके महान् वेगशाली चारों घोड़ोंको मार गिराया
sañjaya uvāca | pothayāmāsa śalyasya caturo 'śvān mahājavān | yuddhakuśalo bhīmaseno bhayaṅkaraśabdaṃ kurvayā tayā gadayā śalyasya mahāvegavataś caturo 'śvān mārayāmāsa ||
Sañjaya sprach: Bhīmasena, kampferfahren, schwang seine furchtbar dröhnende Keule und streckte Śalyas vier Pferde nieder—schnell und kraftvoll—und machte so seinen Wagen mitten im Kampf manövrierunfähig.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield strategy and kṣatriya conduct: disabling an opponent’s mobility by striking the chariot-horses, showing how force and skill are applied within the harsh ethics of war where victory often depends on tactical disruption rather than direct duels alone.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, expertly wielding his roaring mace, strikes down Śalya’s four swift horses, effectively crippling Śalya’s chariot and shifting the immediate balance of the fight.