Shloka 293
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
राधेय गाण्डिवस्थाजौ तदा नैवं वदिष्यसि । वे साक्षात् इन्द्रके मनमें भी भय उत्पन्न कर सकते हैं। राधापुत्र! जब तुम युद्धस्थलमें वज्रकी गड़गड़ाहटके समान गाण्डीव धनुषका गम्भीर घोष सुनोगे, तब ऐसी बातें नहीं कहोगे
rādheya gāṇḍīvasthājau tadā naivaṁ vadiṣyasi | yaḥ sākṣād indrake manmany api bhayam utpādayituṁ śaknoti | rādheya! yadā tvaṁ yuddhasthale vajragarjanāsamaṁ gāṇḍīvadhanur gāmbhīryaghoṣaṁ śroṣyasi tadā naivam uktavān bhaviṣyasi ||
Śalya berkata: “Wahai putra Rādhā, saat itu engkau takkan berkata demikian. Ia sanggup menimbulkan gentar bahkan di hati Indra. Ketika di medan laga engkau mendengar gaung dalam busur Gāṇḍīva, laksana gelegar halilintar, barulah engkau takkan lagi berbicara seperti ini.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śalya warns against overconfidence: true assessment of an opponent’s prowess is part of kṣatriya prudence. Reputation and demonstrated power (symbolized by the Gāṇḍīva’s thunderous sound) should temper boastful speech and cultivate strategic humility.
In Karṇa Parva, Śalya—serving as Karṇa’s charioteer—rebukes Karṇa’s talk by invoking Arjuna’s terrifying martial presence. He says that once Karṇa hears the deep, thunderbolt-like roar of Arjuna’s Gāṇḍīva on the battlefield, Karṇa will stop speaking so dismissively.