Shloka 2336
कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter
ततस्त्वमुच्यसे राजन् शल्य इत्यरिसूदन । 'शत्रुसूदन नरेश! आप पराक्रम प्रकट करते समय शत्रुओंके लिये असहा हो उठते हैं, उनके लिये आप शल्यभूत (कण्टकस्वरूप) हैं; इसीलिये आपको शल्य कहा जाता है
tatastvam ucyase rājan śalya ity arisūdana | śatrusūdana nareśa! tvam parākramaṁ prakaṭayasi tadā śatrūṇāṁ prati asaho bhavasi; teṣāṁ śalyabhūtaḥ (kaṇṭakasvarūpaḥ) asi; tasmāt tvāṁ śalya iti vadanti ||
Sañjaya said: “Therefore, O king—O subduer of foes—you are called ‘Śalya’. When you reveal your prowess, you become unbearable to your enemies; to them you are like a thorn, a piercing obstacle. For this reason you bear the name Śalya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a warrior’s identity and reputation can arise from the effect of his conduct: Śalya is so formidable in battle that he becomes a ‘thorn’ to enemies, and the name itself encodes that ethical-narrative evaluation of prowess.
Sanjaya explains to the king the significance of the name ‘Śalya’, interpreting it as ‘thorn/affliction’ for foes because Śalya’s displayed valor makes him unbearable to opponents.