Shloka 4
द्रोणपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः (Droṇa Parva, Chapter 15): युधिष्ठिर-रक्षा तथा अर्जुनस्य शरवृष्टिः
संजय उवाच सादितं प्रेक्ष्य यन्तारं शल्य: सर्वायसीं गदाम् | समुत्क्षिप्प नदन् क्रुद्ध: प्रचस्कन्द रथोत्तमात्
sañjaya uvāca sāditaṁ prekṣya yantāraṁ śalyaḥ sarvāyasīṁ gadām | samutkṣipya nadan kruddhaḥ pracaskanda rathottamāt ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing his charioteer struck down, Śalya, in a surge of wrath, seized and lifted an all-iron mace. Roaring aloud, he leapt down from the excellent chariot—an image of how, in the frenzy of battle, grief and anger can drive even a great warrior to immediate, forceful retaliation rather than restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly anger and grief can propel action in war: the fall of a close aide (the charioteer) triggers immediate, forceful retaliation. Ethically, it points to the battlefield tension between kṣatriya duty to respond and the peril of krodha overwhelming discernment.
Sañjaya narrates that Śalya sees his charioteer has been struck down. Enraged, Śalya lifts an all-iron mace, roars, and jumps down from his chariot, preparing to engage directly.