Shloka 20
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
हाहाकृतमभूत् सैन्यं शाल्वस्य पृथिवीपते । नष्टसंज्ञे निपतिते तदा सौभपतौ नृूपे,पृथ्वीपते! उस समय सौभ विमानका स्वामी राजा शाल्व जब संज्ञाशून्य होकर धराशायी हो गया, तब उसकी समस्त सेनामें हाहाकार मच गया
hāhākṛtam abhūt sainyaṃ śālvasya pṛthivīpate | naṣṭasaṃjñe nipatite tadā saubhapatau nṛpe ||
Oh rey, cuando Śālva—señor de la tierra y dueño de la ciudad aérea de Saubha—cayó sin sentido, todo su ejército se sumió en el pánico y se alzó un gran clamor de angustia. La escena muestra cuán pronto se derrumba la confianza marcial cuando el mando es abatido, y cómo la fortuna de la guerra pende de la firmeza de ánimo y de la autoridad del comando.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of collective morale in war: when the leader loses composure or is incapacitated, the army’s confidence collapses into chaos. It implicitly values steadiness, responsible command, and the ethical weight borne by rulers whose condition affects many.
Vāyudeva describes a battlefield moment: King Śālva, identified as the master of the Saubha aerial city, falls unconscious. Seeing their king down, Śālva’s troops erupt in a loud outcry and disorder.