Shloka 24
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
सात्यकिप्रहितं शल्यो भल््लैश्वचिच्छेद तोमरम् । प्रहितं भीमसेनेन शरं कनकभूषणम्
sātyakiprahitaṃ śalyo bhallaiś cāciccheda tomaram | prahitaṃ bhīmasenena śaraṃ kanakabhūṣaṇam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Śalya hieb mit scharfen, widerhakigen Pfeilen den von Sātyaki geschleuderten Wurfspieß (tomara) entzwei; und ebenso trennte er den goldgeschmückten Pfeil, den Bhīmasena abgeschossen hatte. Das Bild zeigt die unerbittliche Kunst der Kämpfer: Im Krieg muss Mut mit Wachsamkeit und Meisterschaft einhergehen, und bloßer Wille verbürgt keinen Erfolg im Wirrwarr der Schlacht.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: valor must be joined with vigilance and technical mastery. In war, even well-aimed weapons can be neutralized by an opponent’s superior readiness, reminding the listener that outcomes depend on disciplined skill as much as intention.
During the combat, Śalya intercepts and cuts apart two incoming missiles: a javelin thrown by Sātyaki and a gold-adorned arrow shot by Bhīmasena, demonstrating his defensive prowess and the intensity of the exchange.