Shloka 23
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
तं स विद्धवा महाराज शाल्वो रुक्मिणिनन्दनम् | ननाद सिंहनादं वै नादेनापूरयन् महीम्,महाराज! रुक्मिणीनन्दन प्रद्युम्मको घायल करके शाल्व बड़े जोर-जोरसे सिंहनाद करने लगा। उसकी आवाजसे वहाँकी सारी पृथ्वी गूँज उठी
taṃ sa viddhvā mahārāja śālvo rukmiṇinandanam | nanāda siṃhanādaṃ vai nādenāpūrayān mahīm ||
Oh Rey, tras herir a Pradyumna, hijo de Rukmiṇī, Śālva lanzó un poderoso rugido de león, y con su estruendo llenó la tierra entera. Aquel grito no sólo anunciaba el triunfo en el campo de batalla, sino también el impulso del guerrero por proclamar su dominio y quebrantar el ánimo del adversario: una ostentación de victoria que pone a prueba la firmeza y el dharma de quienes la oyen.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how victory in war is often accompanied by displays meant to assert dominance and unsettle others. Ethically, it invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct: true steadiness lies not in being shaken by intimidation, and true dharma is tested by how one responds to triumph or threat.
Śālva has wounded/struck Pradyumna, the son of Rukmiṇī. After this, Śālva roars like a lion, and the force of his cry is described as filling the earth, emphasizing the intensity of the battlefield moment.