Shloka 60
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
शल्यो वा पाण्डवं हत्वा दद्याद् दुर्योधनाय गाम् | इतीव निश्चयो नाभूद् योधानां तत्र भारत,भरतनन्दन! “आज कुन्तीकुमार युधिष्छिर मद्रराजको मारकर इस भूतलका राज्य भोगेंगे अथवा शल्य ही पाण्डुकुमार युधिष्ठिरको मारकर दुर्योधनको भूमण्डलका राज्य सौंप देंगे।। इस बातका निश्चय वहाँ योद्धाओंको नहीं हो पाता था
sayo v1 p1ava hav1 dady1d duryodhan1ya g1m | it2va nibcayo n1bh6bd yodh1n1 tatra bh1rata, bharatanandana |
Sañjaya dijo: «O bien Śalya, tras matar al Pāṇḍava, entregará la tierra a Duryodhana»—tal era la conjetura. Pero, oh Bhārata, oh deleite de los Bhāratas, entre los guerreros allí no surgió certeza firme. El campo de batalla quedaba suspendido entre dos desenlaces, y los combatientes no alcanzaban a discernir qué muerte decidiría el destino de la soberanía.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and existential uncertainty that surrounds war: even seasoned warriors cannot foresee who will fall and who will rule. It underscores how sovereignty (g1m) hinges on violent outcomes, while human judgment remains limited amid the chaos of battle.
Sanjaya reports to Dh5tar163hira that the warriors on the field could not decide which outcome would occur: whether Shalya would kill the Pandava (contextually Yudhi63hira) and thereby secure the kingdom for Duryodhana, or the reverse. The scene conveys suspense at a decisive moment in Shalya Parva.