Shloka 316
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
महामेघानिव बहून् शैलावस्तोदयावुभौ । उस समय आपके पुत्र दुर्योधन तथा पराक्रमी मद्रराज शल्यने उन सबको आगे बढ़नेसे रोका। ठीक उसी तरह, जैसे अस्ताचल और उदयाचल दोनों बहुसंख्यक महामेघोंको रोक देते हैं
mahāmeghān iva bahūn śailāv astodayāv ubhau |
Sanjaya said: Duryodhana, your son, and Shalya, the valiant king of Madra, checked the advance of those many warriors—just as the two mountain-ranges, the western (setting) and the eastern (rising), hold back vast masses of great clouds. The image underscores how a few powerful leaders can become a barrier to an entire host, shaping the moral and strategic tide of war through resolve and command.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of steadfast leadership: a determined pair of commanders can restrain and redirect a much larger force. Ethically, it points to how individual will and authority can influence the course of collective action in war—for good or ill—by becoming either a protective barrier or an obstructive one.
Sanjaya describes how Duryodhana and the mighty Shalya prevent a large body of fighters from pressing forward. He illustrates their blocking force through a simile: like the eastern and western mountains that seem to hold back great masses of clouds.