Shloka 39
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
ततो हतमभिप्रेक्ष्य मद्रराजबलं महत् । मद्रराजं च समरे दृष्टवा शूरं निपातितम्
tato hatam abhiprekṣya madrarāja-balaṁ mahat | madrarājaṁ ca samare dṛṣṭvā śūraṁ nipātitam ||
Sañjaya said: Then, seeing the great army of the king of Madra slain, and seeing in that battle the heroic king of Madra himself struck down…
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the fall of a principal leader in war carries ethical and psychological consequences beyond the immediate kill: it reshapes collective courage, intensifies grief, and forces reflection on the cost of kṣatriya duty and the fragility of worldly power.
Sañjaya reports a battlefield turning point: the great Madra force has been destroyed, and the heroic king of Madra has been seen felled in combat. This observation sets up the reactions of surrounding warriors and the ensuing shift in the battle’s momentum.