Shloka 81
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
ततस्तामेव शल्यस्य सौभद्र: परवीरहा । मुमोच भुजवीरयेण वैदूर्यविकृतां शिताम्,उस समय शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले सुभद्रा-कुमारने वैदूर्यमणिकी बनी हुई तीखी धारवाली उसी शक्तिको अपने बाहुबलसे शल्यपर चला दिया
tatas tām eva śalyasya saubhadraḥ paravīrahā | mumoca bhujavīryeṇa vaidūryavikṛtāṃ śitām ||
Sañjaya said: Then Abhimanyu, the slayer of hostile champions, hurled with the full force of his arms that very sharp spear—adorned with vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)—straight at Śalya. In the relentless ethics of battlefield duty, the young warrior answers weapon with weapon, meeting aggression with decisive valor.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: when confronted by armed hostility, a warrior is expected to respond with courage and skill, using strength in service of duty rather than hesitation, while remaining within the accepted codes of battle.
Sañjaya narrates that Abhimanyu (son of Subhadrā) takes the same sharp spear associated with Śalya and, relying on his arm-strength, hurls it at Śalya—an intensification of direct hero-versus-hero combat.