Shloka 23
तं स विद्धवा महाराज शाल्वो रुक्मिणिनन्दनम् | ननाद सिंहनादं वै नादेनापूरयन् महीम्,महाराज! रुक्मिणीनन्दन प्रद्युम्मको घायल करके शाल्व बड़े जोर-जोरसे सिंहनाद करने लगा। उसकी आवाजसे वहाँकी सारी पृथ्वी गूँज उठी
taṃ sa viddhvā mahārāja śālvo rukmiṇinandanam | nanāda siṃhanādaṃ vai nādenāpūrayān mahīm ||
O King, having struck down Pradyumna, the son of Rukmiṇī, Śālva let out a mighty lion-roar, filling the earth with its reverberation. The cry signaled not only triumph in battle but the warrior’s urge to proclaim dominance and shake the foe’s morale—an outward display of victory that tests the steadiness and dharma of those who hear it.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how victory in war is often accompanied by displays meant to assert dominance and unsettle others. Ethically, it invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct: true steadiness lies not in being shaken by intimidation, and true dharma is tested by how one responds to triumph or threat.
Śālva has wounded/struck Pradyumna, the son of Rukmiṇī. After this, Śālva roars like a lion, and the force of his cry is described as filling the earth, emphasizing the intensity of the battlefield moment.