Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
तस्मिन् निपतिते वीरे शाल्वराजे विचेतसि । सम्प्राद्रवन् दानवेन्द्रा दारयन्तो वसुंधराम्,वीर शाल्वराजके अचेत होकर गिर जानेपर उसकी सेनाके समस्त दानवराज पृथ्वीको विदीर्ण करके पातालमें पलायन कर गये
tasmin nipatite vīre śālvarāje vicetasi | samprādravan dānavendrā dārayanto vasuṃdharām ||
When that heroic king of Śālva fell down unconscious, the foremost of the Dānavas fled in panic—rending the earth as they went—and escaped into the netherworld. The scene underscores how the fall of a leader can shatter an army’s resolve, and how those aligned with adharma often choose flight and concealment over steadfast accountability.
वायुदेव उवाच