Shloka 25
मद्रराजो महाराज विराटं वाहिनीपतिम् । आजमलछेने त्वरितस्तूर्ण शतेन नतपर्वणाम्,महाराज! मद्रराज शल्यने सेनापति राजा विराटको बड़ी उतावलीके साथ झुकी हुई गाँठवाले सौ बाण मारकर तुरंत घायल कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
madra-rājo mahārāja virāṭaṃ vāhinī-patim |
ājamalacchene tvaritas tūrṇaṃ śatena nataparvaṇām ||
Sañjaya said: O King, the ruler of Madra—Śalya—swiftly closed in on Virāṭa, the commander of the host, and at once wounded him with a hundred arrows whose joints were bent, in the fierce press of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of even high commanders in war and the ethical weight of kshatriya conflict: leadership entails exposure to danger, and battle rewards speed, focus, and concentrated effort—yet it also shows how quickly violence escalates and brings suffering.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Shalya, the king of Madra, rapidly attacks Virata—an army commander—and wounds him with a volley of a hundred arrows, describing a decisive moment amid the ongoing combat.