Shloka 2
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
यथा हरिहयैर्युक्ते संगृह्नाति स मातलि: । शल्यस्तथा तवाद्यायं संयन्ता रथवाजिनाम्,जैसे मातलि इन्द्रके घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए रथकी बागडोर सँभालते हैं, उसी प्रकार ये तुम्हारे रथके घोड़ोंको काबूमें रखेंगे
yathā harihayairyukte saṃgṛhṇāti sa mātaliḥ | śalyastathā tavādyāyaṃ saṃyantā rathavājinām ||
Duryodhana said: “Just as Mātali holds the reins with a firm hand and controls Indra’s chariot yoked to tawny steeds, so today Śalya will be the charioteer who restrains and guides the horses of your chariot.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical importance of restraint and guidance: victory in war depends not only on a warrior’s valor but also on disciplined control—symbolized by a charioteer mastering the horses, and by extension the mind and impulses.
Duryodhana reassures and encourages Karṇa by praising Śalya’s role as charioteer, comparing him to Mātali who drives Indra’s chariot. The statement aims to bolster Karṇa’s readiness for battle by emphasizing that his chariot team will be expertly controlled.