Shloka 276
भीमसेन–कर्णयुद्धवर्णनम्
Description of the Bhīmasena–Karṇa Engagement
मद्रराजश्न दशभिर्विव्यधु: फाल्गुनं रणे । फिर कर्णने बत्तीस, वृषसेनने सात, जयद्रथने तिहत्तर, कृपाचार्यने दस तथा मद्रराज शल्यने भी दस बाण मारकर रफक्षेत्रमें अर्जुनको बींध डाला
madrarājaḥ śalyas tu daśabhir vivyadha phālgunaṃ raṇe |
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, King Śalya of Madra pierced Phālguna (Arjuna) with ten arrows. The report underscores the concentrated, coordinated assault by the Kaurava champions upon Arjuna, highlighting the relentless pressure and the harsh ethics of war where prowess and endurance are tested amid lethal exchanges.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the Mahābhārata’s war-ethic: in a dharma-yuddha, warriors meet force with force, and steadfastness under assault becomes a measure of kṣatriya duty. It also shows how narration frames violence as a test of resolve rather than mere brutality.
Sañjaya reports that Śalya, the Madra king, strikes Arjuna (Phālguna) with ten arrows during the battle, as part of the intense exchanges between leading warriors in the Droṇa Parva.