Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 31
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
अनीकं दशसाहस्रमश्चानां भरतर्षभ । आसीद् गान्धारराजस्य विशालप्रासयोधिनाम्
anīkaṁ daśasāhasram aśvānāṁ bharatarṣabha | āsīd gāndhārarājasya viśālaprāsayodhinām ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O Stier unter den Bharatas, der König von Gandhāra verfügte über eine Streitmacht von zehntausend Reitern – Kämpfer, die lange, gewaltige Lanzen führten. Mit diesem Kontingent zog er in jener menschenverzehrenden Schlacht gegen den Rücken des Pāṇḍava-Heeres, und gemeinsam begannen sie, jene Truppe mit scharfen Pfeilen zu treffen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war magnifies strategic calculation and mass violence: large formations and specialized weapons are deployed to exploit vulnerabilities (such as the rear of an army). Ethically, it highlights the tension between kṣatriya warfare and destructive, opportunistic tactics that intensify slaughter.
Sañjaya reports that Śakuni, the king of Gandhāra, possesses a ten-thousand-strong cavalry unit equipped with large lances. He takes this force and moves toward the rear of the Pāṇḍava formation, where they collectively assail the troops with sharp arrows.