Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 31
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
अनीकं दशसाहस्रमश्चानां भरतर्षभ । आसीद् गान्धारराजस्य विशालप्रासयोधिनाम्
anīkaṁ daśasāhasram aśvānāṁ bharatarṣabha | āsīd gāndhārarājasya viśālaprāsayodhinām ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô taureau parmi les Bharata, le roi de Gandhāra disposait d’une force de dix mille cavaliers, des combattants maniant de longues et massives lances. Emmenant ce contingent, il se porta vers l’arrière de l’armée des Pāṇḍava, dans cette bataille meurtrière, et tous ensemble se mirent à frapper cette troupe de flèches acérées.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war magnifies strategic calculation and mass violence: large formations and specialized weapons are deployed to exploit vulnerabilities (such as the rear of an army). Ethically, it highlights the tension between kṣatriya warfare and destructive, opportunistic tactics that intensify slaughter.
Sañjaya reports that Śakuni, the king of Gandhāra, possesses a ten-thousand-strong cavalry unit equipped with large lances. He takes this force and moves toward the rear of the Pāṇḍava formation, where they collectively assail the troops with sharp arrows.