Shloka 14
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
विराट द्रुतमायान्तं द्रोणस्य निधन प्रति । मद्रराज: सुसंक्कुद्धो वारयामास भारत,भारत! द्रोणको मारनेके उद्देश्यसे शीघ्रतापूर्वक आते हुए राजा विराटको अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए मद्रराज शल्यने रोक दिया
virāṭa drutam āyāntaṃ droṇasya nidhana prati | madrarājaḥ susaṃkruddho vārayāmāsa bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: As King Virāṭa rushed swiftly forward, intent on bringing about Droṇa’s death, the Madra king Śalya—burning with fierce anger—held him back, O Bhārata. The moment underscores how, amid the chaos of war, personal resolve and strategic restraint collide, and how wrath can redirect even a determined warrior’s course.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous or determined pursuit, unchecked anger and impulsive action can be redirected or obstructed; the episode highlights the ethical tension between personal resolve (to strike down a formidable foe) and the strategic/temperamental forces (wrath, rivalry, battlefield control) that shape outcomes in war.
Virāṭa charges forward quickly with the aim of killing Droṇa, but Śalya, the Madra king, enraged, intervenes and restrains Virāṭa, preventing him from proceeding as intended.