Shloka 13
Śalya’s Consecration as Senāpati and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira (शल्यस्य सेनापत्यभिषेकः)
सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्नं निपुणं श्रुतिसागरम् जेतारं तरसारीणामजेयमरिभिबंलात्
sarvalakṣaṇasampannaṃ nipuṇaṃ śrutisāgaram | jetāraṃ tarasārīṇām ajeyam aribhir balāt ||
Sañjaya said: “He was endowed with every auspicious mark, expertly skilled, and an ocean of sacred learning. He was a conqueror of swift and formidable opponents, and could not be overcome by enemies through mere force.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds an ideal of leadership where martial excellence is joined with śruti-based learning and refined skill. It implies that true strength is not merely physical power but a composite of character, training, and wisdom—qualities that make one ‘unconquerable’ in a deeper sense.
Sañjaya is describing a warrior-hero in elevated terms, emphasizing auspicious qualities, mastery, and learning, and portraying him as a formidable figure in the war—one whom enemies cannot defeat by brute force alone.