Shloka 79
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration
Sañjaya’s Report
अयं सौभं योधयामास खस्थं विभीषणं मायया शाल्वराजम् | सौभद्दारि प्रत्यगृह्नाच्छतघ्नीं दोर्भ्या क एनं विषद्वेत मर्त्य:
ayaṃ saubhaṃ yodhayāmāsa khasthaṃ vibhīṣaṇaṃ māyayā śālvarājam | saubhaddāri pratyagṛhnāc chataghnīṃ dorbhyā ka enaṃ viṣadvet martyaḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Er kämpfte gegen Śālva, der im Himmel in der Luftfestung Saubha stand und durch Zauberkunst eine höchst schreckliche Gestalt angenommen hatte. Direkt am Tor von Saubha packte er das eiserne Wurfgeschoss (śataghnī) mit beiden Händen. Welcher Sterbliche könnte einer solchen Schnelligkeit und Kraft in ihm standhalten?“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights extraordinary valor and presence of mind in battle: even when confronted with deceptive, fear-inducing sorcery (māyā), a true warrior remains steady and acts decisively. It implicitly contrasts mere magical terror with inner strength and disciplined courage.
Sañjaya describes a feat in which the hero confronts King Śālva, who fights from the airborne Saubha using magical illusion. During the clash, the hero even catches a formidable fort-weapon (śataghnī) at Saubha’s doorway, and Sañjaya marvels that no ordinary mortal could bear such speed and force.