Shloka 2
शल्य उवाच पश्येदमुग्रं नरवाजिनागै- रायोधनं वीरहतै: सुपूर्णम् महीधराभै: पतितैश्न नागै: सकृत्प्रभिन्नै: शरभिन्नदेहै:
śalya uvāca | paśyedam ugraṃ nara-vāji-nāgaiḥ rājādhanaṃ vīra-hataiḥ supūrṇam | mahīdhara-ābhaiḥ patitaiś ca nāgaiḥ sakṛt-prabhinnaiḥ śara-bhinna-dehaiḥ ||
Śalya berkata: “Wahai raja pahlawan, lihatlah—betapa mengerikannya medan perang ini, penuh sesak oleh yang gugur: manusia, kuda, dan gajah. Gajah-gajah agung laksana gunung, yang dahulu mengalirkan cairan musth dari pelipisnya, kini roboh serentak, tubuhnya koyak oleh hujan panah.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the moral and existential cost of war: even ‘heroic’ combat culminates in a landscape of suffering and death. By making the horror visible, it implicitly urges discernment about dharma—valor without restraint leads to devastation.
Śalya addresses a heroic king on the battlefield, directing him to observe the terrifying scene: the ground is filled with slain men, horses, and fallen, mountain-like elephants whose bodies are ripped apart by arrows.