Shloka 35
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
बताओ तो सही, अर्जुनके सिवा दूसरा कौन ऐसा वीर है, जो साक्षात् विष्णु भगवानसे सुरक्षित यदुवंशियोंकी पुरीको, जिसकी उपमा देवराज इन्द्रद्वारा पालित देवनगरी अमरावतीसे दी जाती है, बलपूर्वक मथकर पुरुषोत्तम श्रीकृष्णकी छोटी बहिन सुभद्राका अपहरण कर सके ।।
śalya uvāca — brūhi satyam, arjunāt pṛthag anyaḥ kaḥ sa vīraḥ yo viṣṇu-bhagavatā sākṣāt rakṣitāṃ yaduvaṃśināṃ purīṃ, yasyā upamā devarājena indrēṇa pālitāyāḥ devanagaryāḥ amarāvatyāḥ kriyate, balāt pramathya puruṣottama-śrīkṛṣṇasya kaniṣṭhāṃ bhaginīṃ subhadrāṃ apaharitum aśaknot? tribhuvana-vibhūmi-kṣareśvaraṃ ka iha pumān bhavam āhvayed yudhi, mṛga-vadha-kalahe ṛte ’rjunāt, surapati-vīrya-sama-prabhāvataḥ.
Śalya berkata: “Katakan dengan jujur—selain Arjuna, pahlawan mana yang sanggup menerobos dengan paksa ke kota kaum Yadu, yang dijaga oleh Dewa Viṣṇu sendiri dan disamakan dengan Amarāvatī, lalu mengacaukannya dan membawa lari Subhadrā, adik perempuan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Sang Puruṣottama? Dan selain Arjuna—yang kekuatan serta wibawanya setara raja para dewa—siapakah manusia di dunia ini yang, dalam pertikaian akibat pembunuhan seekor binatang liar, bahkan berani menantang Bhava (Śiva), penguasa tiga alam, untuk bertempur?”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores Arjuna’s exceptional kṣatriya prowess by measuring him against divine standards: he can penetrate even a divinely protected city and can confront even Shiva in a contest. Ethically, it highlights how reputation in epic literature is built through extraordinary trials that test courage, resolve, and the limits of human agency under divine oversight.
In the Karna Parva context, Shalya speaks to emphasize Arjuna’s unmatched strength and fame. He recalls two celebrated exploits: Arjuna’s carrying off Subhadra from the Yadava capital (Dvaraka implied), and his earlier confrontation with Shiva during the dispute over a slain wild animal (the Kirata episode). These examples function as rhetorical proof that no warrior equals Arjuna.