Shloka 34
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
तथैव मद्राधिपतिं शल्यं बलवतां वरम् | बलदेवादृते वीरात् पाण्डवाद् वा वृकोदरात्
tathaiva madrādhipatiṁ śalyaṁ balavatāṁ varam | baladevād ṛte vīrāt pāṇḍavād vā vṛkodarāt |
Vaiśampāyana dit : «De même, qui pourrait terrasser au combat Śalya, seigneur de Madra et le premier parmi les puissants—sinon le vaillant Baladeva, ou le Pāṇḍava Vṛkodara (Bhīma) ?» Cette parole met en lumière la stature guerrière exceptionnelle de Śalya et laisse entendre que seul un très petit cercle de héros hors du commun pourrait espérer le vaincre, orientant ainsi le calcul moral : faut-il persister dans une confrontation où les chances et le prix en vies sont redoutables ?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how true strength is rare and concentrated in a few exceptional figures; recognizing this reality is part of prudent, dharma-aware decision-making in war, where misjudging an opponent’s prowess can lead to needless destruction.
Vaiśampāyana describes an assessment of Śalya’s battlefield invincibility: only Baladeva or Bhīma (Vṛkodara) is presented as capable of bringing him down, emphasizing Śalya’s status among elite warriors and influencing strategic choices in the surrounding episode.