Shloka 65
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
केडरक्षन् दक्षिणं चक्र मद्रराजस्य संयुगे । वाम॑ च योद्धुकामस्य के वा वीरस्य पृष्ठत:,युद्धस्थलमें जूझनेकी इच्छावाले मद्रराज शल्यके दाहिने या बायें पहियेकी रक्षा किन लोगोंने की? अथवा उस वीर सेनापतिके पृष्ठ-रक्षक कौन थे?
kedarakṣan dakṣiṇaṃ cakraṃ madrarājasya saṃyuge | vāmaṃ ca yoddhukāmasya ke vā vīrasya pṛṣṭhataḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “In the thick of battle, who guarded the right wheel of the king of Madra, Śalya, and who guarded the left, as he was eager to fight? And who were appointed as the rear-guards of that heroic commander?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma as disciplined coordination: a warrior’s prowess depends not only on personal valor but also on assigned protective duties—guarding the chariot’s vulnerable points (wheels and rear) as a collective responsibility.
The narrator asks for identification of the warriors stationed to protect Śalya’s chariot—specifically those guarding the right and left wheels and those serving as rear-guards—setting up a description of the battle array and key fighters around Śalya.