Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 7
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
नकुल और सहदेवने पाँच-पाँच बाणोंसे शल्यको घायल करके फिर सात बाणोंसे उन्हें तुरंत ही बींध डाला ।। स तु शूरो रणे यत्त: पीडितस्तैर्महारथै: । विकृष्य कार्मुकं घोरं वेगघ्नं भारसाधनम्
nakula-sahadevau pañca-pañca-bāṇaiḥ śalyaṃ ghātayitvā punaḥ sapta-bāṇaiḥ tam āśu vivyadhatuḥ || sa tu śūro raṇe yattaḥ pīḍitas tair mahārathaiḥ | vikṛṣya kārmukaṃ ghoraṃ vegaghnaṃ bhāra-sādhanam ||
Sañjaya dijo: Nakula y Sahadeva hirieron a Śalya, cada uno con cinco flechas; y luego, con otras siete saetas, lo atravesaron de nuevo con presteza. Pero aquel héroe, enteramente entregado al combate y duramente apremiado por esos grandes guerreros de carro, tensó su arco terrible—instrumento que frena el ímpetu del enemigo y soporta la pesada carga de la guerra—dispuesto a responder a su acometida.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: even when wounded and outnumbered by great warriors, a commander must remain composed, take up his weapon, and meet force with disciplined resolve—valor joined to endurance amid the moral gravity of war.
Nakula and Sahadeva repeatedly wound Śalya with volleys of arrows. Śalya, though hard-pressed by these mahārathas, draws his formidable bow to counterattack, showing his continued readiness and command presence in the battle.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.