Shloka 9
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
तत्र पश्याम्यहं कर्म शल्यस्यातिमहद्रणे । यदेक: सर्वसैन्यानि पाण्डवानामयोधयत्,वहाँ रणभूमिमें मैंने राजा शल्यका बहुत बड़ा पराक्रम यह देखा कि वे अकेले ही पाण्डवोंकी सम्पूर्ण सेनाओंके साथ युद्ध कर रहे थे
tatra paśyāmy ahaṃ karma śalyasyātimahad raṇe | yad ekaḥ sarvasainyāni pāṇḍavānām ayodhayat ||
Sañjaya said: “There, on that battlefield, I beheld Shalya’s exceedingly great feat of arms—how, standing alone, he engaged in combat against the entire forces of the Pāṇḍavas.” The line underscores the epic’s recurring tension between personal valor and the vast, impersonal machinery of war, where prowess is admired even as the conflict’s moral weight remains heavy.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of extraordinary courage and steadfastness in battle, while implicitly reminding the reader that even celebrated heroism unfolds within a devastating war whose ethical burden cannot be ignored.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra what he ‘sees’ on the battlefield: King Śalya displays remarkable prowess by fighting single-handedly against the combined forces of the Pāṇḍavas.