Shloka 39
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
तस्मिन् प्रवत्ते संग्रामे राजन् वीरवरक्षये
tasmin pravṛtte saṅgrāme rājan vīravarakṣaye
Sañjaya said: “O King, when that battle had begun in earnest—bringing about the destruction of the foremost heroes—…”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores the moral weight of war: once battle is set in motion, even the greatest warriors are swept toward destruction. It frames conflict as a force that consumes excellence and invites reflection on responsibility and the cost of adharma-driven hostility.
Sañjaya is reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He marks the moment when the fighting has fully commenced and is resulting in the downfall of eminent heroes, setting up the ensuing description of events in the battle.