Shloka 3
सुविद्वलद्धिश्व गतासुभिश्न प्रध्वस्तवर्मायुधचर्मखड््गै: । वज्ापविद्धैरिव चाचलोत्तमै- विभिन्नपाषाणमहाद्रुमौषधै:
śalya uvāca | suvidvaladdhiśva-gatāsubhiś ca pradhvasta-varmāyudha-carma-khaḍgaiḥ | vajrāpaviddhair iva cācalottamaiḥ vibhinna-pāṣāṇa-mahādrumauṣadhaiḥ ||
Śalya berkata: “Di sini ada yang meregang nyawa sambil merintih, ada pula yang sudah tak bernapas; zirah, senjata, perisai, dan pedang hancur berserakan. Pemandangan ini laksana puncak-puncak gunung dihantam vajra Indra—batu-batu terbelah, pepohonan besar dan tumbuhan obat remuk tercerai.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the devastating, leveling power of war: even the mightiest—likened to mountains—are shattered. It implicitly warns that martial glory culminates in ruin and suffering, urging sober reflection on the ethical cost of violence even within kṣatriya duty.
Śalya addresses a king on the battlefield, pointing out the horrific scene of dead and dying men, horses, and elephants. He uses a vivid simile: the wreckage of armor and bodies looks like great mountains smashed by Indra’s thunderbolt, with rocks, trees, and herbs scattered.