Shloka 51
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
नासाक्षिकर्णास्यविनि:सृतेन प्रस्यन्दता च व्रणसम्भवेन । संसिक्तगात्रो रुधिरेण सो5भूत् क्रौज्चो यथा स्कन्दहतो महाद्रि:,जैसे कार्तिकेयकी शक्तिसे आहत हुआ महापर्वत क्रौंच गेरूमिश्रित झरनोंके जलसे भीग गया था, उसी प्रकार नाक, आँख, कान और मुखसे निकले तथा घावोंसे बहते हुए खूनसे शल्यका सारा शरीर नहा गया
sañjaya uvāca |
nāsākṣikarṇāsyaviniḥsṛtena prasyandatā ca vraṇasambhavena |
saṃsiktagātro rudhireṇa so 'bhūt krauñco yathā skandahato mahādriḥ ||
Sañjaya said: His whole body became drenched in blood—blood issuing from his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth, and blood streaming from the wounds. He looked like the great mountain Krauñca, soaked by reddish torrents, when it was struck down by Skanda. The image underscores the brutal cost of war: even the mighty are reduced to helpless suffering, and violence leaves no room for dignity or restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dehumanizing reality of battle: physical prowess and status collapse into vulnerability and pain. By comparing a warrior’s blood-soaked body to a mythic mountain struck by a god, it implicitly critiques the devastation inherent in war and reminds the listener of impermanence and the heavy ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya describes Śalya grievously wounded: blood pours from his facial openings and from his wounds, soaking his entire body. The scene is intensified through a simile—like Mount Krauñca drenched when struck by Skanda—emphasizing the severity of the blow and the battlefield’s horror.