Shloka 616
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
अपश्याम महाराज मेघजालमिवोदगतम् । महाराज! तदनन्तर हमलोगोंने पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरकी छातीपर बाणोंका जाल-सा बिछा हुआ देखा, मानो आकाशमें मेघोंकी घटा घिर आयी हो
apaśyāma mahārāja meghajālam ivodgatam |
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh gran rey, lo vimos como si se alzara una red de nubes. Después vimos a Yudhiṣṭhira, hijo de Pāṇḍu, con una malla de flechas tendida sobre el pecho, como si una densa masa de nubes se hubiera reunido en el cielo.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of war: even a righteous king like Yudhiṣṭhira is not spared pain. Dharma in such a context is shown as steadfast endurance and commitment to duty amid unavoidable suffering, rather than the absence of harm.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that they saw Yudhiṣṭhira’s chest covered with a dense spread of arrows. The scene is described through a simile—like a mass or net of clouds rising in the sky—emphasizing the intensity of the missile assault.