Shloka 48
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
शल्यो<पि राजन संक्रुद्धो निध्नन् सोमकपाण्डवान् । पुनरेव शितैर्बाणैर्युधेष्टिमपीडयत्
śalyo ’pi rājan saṁkruddho nighnan somaka-pāṇḍavān | punar eva śitair bāṇair yudhiṣṭhiram apīḍayat ||
Sañjaya said: O King, Śalya too, inflamed with anger, struck down the Somakas and the Pāṇḍavas; and once again, with razor-sharp arrows, he pressed hard upon Yudhiṣṭhira. The verse underscores how wrath in battle drives relentless violence, intensifying the moral burden of war even upon renowned warriors.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (saṁkrodha) fuels repeated and escalating harm in war. Even within a kṣatriya context where fighting is a duty, wrath-driven action deepens suffering and intensifies the ethical weight of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya, enraged, is striking the Somaka and Pāṇḍava forces and is again assailing Yudhiṣṭhira with sharp arrows, increasing pressure on the Pāṇḍava leader in the ongoing battle.