Shloka 546
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
अभ्यधावन् महात्मानं पुत्र दुर्योधनं तव । तत्पश्चात् सेनासहित युधिष्ठचिर आदि महारथी आपके महामनस्वी पुत्र दुर्योधनकी ओर दौड़े
abhyadhāvan mahātmānaṃ putra duryodhanaṃ tava | tatpaścāt senāsahitaḥ yudhiṣṭhira-ādi mahārathī (mahārathayaḥ) ||
Sañjaya sprach: Da stürmten die großen Krieger auf deinen hochgesinnten Sohn Duryodhana zu. Danach rückten Yudhiṣṭhira und die übrigen erstrangigen Mahārathas—die vornehmsten Wagenkämpfer—mit ihren Truppen gegen ihn vor und trieben die Schlacht in die entscheidende Entscheidung, wo Dharma, Treue und die harten Forderungen des Krieges aufeinanderprallen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the momentum of kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: once the decisive confrontation is joined, leaders and elite warriors must act with resolve, even when the moral landscape is tragic and complex. It underscores how duty and allegiance drive action amid escalating conflict.
Sañjaya reports that the foremost warriors—led by Yudhiṣṭhira and supported by their troops—charge toward Duryodhana. The scene signals a concentrated assault on the Kaurava leader, intensifying the battle’s decisive phase.