Shloka 47
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तावकानां रथा: सप्त समन्तात् पर्यवारयन् । मद्रराजमभभीप्सन्तो मृत्योर्दष्टान्तरं गतम्
tāvakānāṁ rathāḥ sapta samantāt paryavārayan | madrarājam abhīpsanto mṛtyor daṣṭāntaraṁ gatam ||
Sañjaya dit : Tes sept guerriers de char encerclèrent de toutes parts Śalya, roi de Madra—déjà comme tombé entre les mâchoires de la mort—afin de le protéger, lorsqu’ils virent Śveta se ruer, puissant comme un éléphant déchaîné.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violent conflict, the epic highlights a warrior’s duty of loyalty and protection toward comrades and leaders. The impulse to shield Śalya—described as caught in death’s jaws—reflects the battlefield ethic that one must not abandon an ally in peril, even when facing a formidable opponent.
As Śveta charges with overwhelming force, seven chariot-warriors from the Kaurava side quickly form a protective ring around Śalya, the king of Madra, to save him from imminent destruction.