Shloka 266
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
अभ्यधावज्जिघांसन् वै शल्यं मद्राधिपं युधि । उस बलवान वीरने इन्द्रधनुषके समान अपने विशाल शरासनको कानोंतक खींचकर मद्रराज शल्यको युद्धमें मार डालनेकी इच्छासे उनपर धावा किया
sañjaya uvāca |
abhyadhāvaj jighāṃsan vai śalyaṃ madrādhipaṃ yudhi |
Sañjaya said: Then he rushed forward, intent on killing Śalya, the lord of Madra, in the midst of battle. Drawing his great bow up to his ear—arched like Indra’s rainbow—the mighty hero charged at the Madra king with the resolve to strike him down, showing how lethal intent and martial duty converge in the brutal ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark moral tension of battlefield dharma: a warrior’s resolve can be single-pointed and lethal, yet it is framed within the accepted duty of combat. It illustrates how intention (to kill) and disciplined action (charging, drawing the bow) operate within the harsh ethical world of Kurukṣetra.
Sañjaya narrates that a powerful warrior charges at Śalya, the king of Madra, aiming to kill him in battle, drawing his great bow to the ear as he advances.