Shloka 43
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
मद्रेश्वरस्तु समरे यमा भ्यां समसज्जत | स्वस्रीयौं छादयांचक्रे शरौचै: पाण्डुनन्दनौ,दूसरी ओर मद्रराज शल्य युद्धमें अपने भानजे नकुल और सहदेवसे उलझे हुए थे। उन्होंने पाण्डुकुलको आनन्दित करनेवाले भानजोंको अपने बाणसमूहोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया
madreśvaras tu samare yamābhyāṁ samasajjata | svasrīyauṁ chādayāṁ cakre śaraughaiḥ pāṇḍunandanau ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, the lord of Madra, Śalya, engaged the twin brothers (the ‘Yamas’), Nakula and Sahadeva. Then, with swift volleys of arrows, he covered those sons of Pāṇḍu—his own nephews—showing how, in war, kinship is subordinated to one’s chosen allegiance and duty on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: personal bonds do not automatically override one’s adopted duty (svadharma) and allegiance in a righteous war. Śalya fights his own nephews, illustrating how battlefield obligation can conflict with family ties.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya, king of Madra, engages the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva (called ‘the two Yamas’) and overwhelms them by covering them with volleys of arrows during the battle.