Shloka 3
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
अत्र मां प्रापय क्षिप्रं पश्य मे सारथे बलम् | न समर्थों हि मे पार्थ: स्थातुमद्य पुरो युधि
atra māṁ prāpaya kṣipraṁ paśya me sārathe balam | na samartho hi me pārthaḥ sthātum adya puro yudhi ||
«Cocher, conduis-moi vers lui sans tarder. Alors tu verras ma force. Aujourd’hui, dans la bataille, ce fils de Pṛthā (Yudhiṣṭhira) ne pourra se tenir devant moi.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial pride and the urge to prove one’s prowess can dominate the battlefield mindset; ethically, it invites reflection on the contrast between boastful certainty and the unpredictable, morally weighty consequences of war.
A warrior, addressing his charioteer, demands to be driven swiftly toward the opponent and declares that the son of Pṛthā—identified here as Yudhiṣṭhira—cannot withstand him in combat that day.