Shloka 66
शलश्न रथिनां श्रेष्ठो भगदत्तश्न वीर्यवान् एते चान्ये च राजानो देवैरपि सुदुर्जया:,“विकर्ण, चित्रसेन, बाह्नलीक, जयद्रथ, भूरिश्रवा, जय, जलसंध, सुदक्षिण, रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ शल तथा पराक्रमी भगदत्त--ये और दूसरे भी बहुत-से राजा देवताओंके लिये भी अत्यन्त दुर्जय थे
sañjaya uvāca | śalaś ca rathināṃ śreṣṭho bhagadattaś ca vīryavān | ete cānye ca rājāno devair api sudurjayāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Śala, the foremost among chariot-warriors, and the mighty Bhagadatta—these and many other kings were so formidable that even the gods would find them exceedingly hard to overcome.” In the ethical frame of the epic, the line underscores how vast martial power has gathered on the battlefield, heightening the tragedy of a war where prowess is abundant but righteousness is contested.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the concentration of extraordinary martial strength in the war, implying that sheer prowess does not settle the question of dharma; it intensifies the moral weight of the conflict and the scale of inevitable loss.
Sañjaya is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the formidable warriors and kings present—naming Śala and Bhagadatta as exemplary—emphasizing that they are so powerful that even the gods would struggle to defeat them.