Shloka 47
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
बलप्रयत्नादधिरूढवेगां मन्त्रैश्न घोरैरभिमन्त्रय यत्नात् । ससर्ज मार्गेण च तां परेण वधाय मद्राधिपतेस्तदानीम्
sañjaya uvāca |
balaprayatnād adhirūḍhavegāṁ mantraiś ca ghorair abhimantrya yatnāt |
sasarja mārgeṇa ca tāṁ pareṇa vadhāya madrādhipates tadānīm ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Impulsada por la fuerza y el esfuerzo, su velocidad se elevó hasta un furor terrible. Entonces Yudhiṣṭhira, decidido a dar muerte al señor de Madra, la consagró con cuidado mediante mantras espantosos y la soltó con propósito deliberado por la mejor trayectoria.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the deliberate nature of action in war: physical effort (bala-prayatna) and ritual intention (abhimantrya) combine to make an act effective and irreversible. It implicitly raises ethical weight—when one chooses a lethal act, one also assumes responsibility for the intention and the means, even when framed as kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira releases a weapon/projectile whose speed has been greatly increased by force and effort. He empowers it with fierce mantras and sends it along an excellent trajectory specifically to slay the king of Madra (Śalya) at that moment.