Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 29
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
निहताः: प्रत्यदृश्यन्त मद्रराजपदानुगा: । प्रजानाथ! वे मद्रराजके अनुगामी वीर रणभूमिमें दो ही घड़ीके भीतर हाथों-हाथ मारे गये दिखायी दिये ।। ततो नः सम्प्रयातानां हता मद्रास्तरस्विन:
sañjaya uvāca | nihatāḥ pratyadṛśyanta madrarāja-padānugāḥ | prajānātha! te madrarājakānugāmī vīrā raṇabhūmau dvi-ghaḍī-bhitaraṃ hātoṃ-hāṭha māritā dṛśyante || tato naḥ samprayātānāṃ hatā madrās tarasvinaḥ ||
Sañjaya sagte: „O Herr der Völker, man sah die Krieger, die den Spuren des Königs von Madra folgten, erschlagen daliegen. Jene tapferen Anhänger des madraischen Königs schienen auf dem Schlachtfeld in kürzester Zeit niedergemacht—im Nahkampf gefällt—worden zu sein. So wurden, als unsere Heere vorrückten, die ungestümen Madras getötet.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield reality that loyalty to a leader and martial zeal do not guarantee safety; in war, even brave followers can be swiftly destroyed. It implicitly warns about the ethical cost of war and the fragility of human life amid collective violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors aligned with the Madra king (Śalya) were seen slain on the battlefield, cut down rapidly as the armies advanced and engaged in close combat.