Shloka 38
कर्णेन व्यूहविधानम् — Karṇa’s Battle Formation and the Pāṇḍava Counter-Plan
Adhyāya 31
धनु: पश्य च मे चित्र शरांश्वाशीविषोपमान् | रथं पश्य च मे क्लृप्तं सदश्वैर्वातवेगितैः
dhanuḥ paśya ca me citra śarāṃś cāśīviṣopamān | rathaṃ paśya ca me klṛptaṃ sadaśvair vātavegitaiḥ ||
Look at my splendid bow, and look at my arrows—like venomous serpents. And look at my chariot, fully prepared, drawn by excellent horses swift as the wind.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of preparedness and resolve in battle: capability must be matched by readiness. It also implicitly warns that war turns skill and equipment into lethal force—arrows are likened to venomous snakes—underscoring the grave moral weight of martial action.
Śalya is asserting his battle-readiness by pointing to his formidable bow and deadly arrows, and to his well-equipped chariot with wind-swift horses. The statement functions as a challenge and a display of confidence meant to influence allies and intimidate opponents in the unfolding combat.