Shloka 26
अथ भीमरथ: शाल्वमाशुगैरायसै: शितै: । षड्भि: साश्चव॒नियन्तारमनयद् यमसादनम्
atha bhīmarathaḥ śālvam āśugair āyasaiḥ śitaiḥ | ṣaḍbhiḥ sāśvavan-niyantāram anayad yamasādanam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīmaratha, with six swift, iron, razor-edged arrows, struck down Śālva together with his charioteer who held the reins of the horses, sending them to Yama’s abode. The verse underscores the grim momentum of battle, where martial skill and lethal resolve override ordinary restraints, and death is presented as the inevitable consequence of violent dharma-conflict on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inexorable consequence of warfare: once battle-dharma is engaged, death becomes a near-certain outcome, and the narrative frames killing as a grim but accepted result of kṣatriya conflict—‘sending to Yama’s abode’ emphasizing mortality and karmic finality.
Sañjaya reports that the warrior Bhīmaratha shoots six swift, iron, sharp arrows at Śālva, killing him along with his charioteer (the one controlling the horses), thus removing both from the fight.