Shloka 29
Śalya Installed as Commander; Coalition Agreement and Battle Arrays (शल्यसेनापत्यारोहणं व्यूहवर्णनं च)
यादृग् भीष्मस्तथा द्रोणो यादृक् कर्णश्न संयुगे । तादृशस्तद्विशिष्टो वा मद्रराजो मतो मम,इति सत्य ब्रवीम्येष दुर्योधन न संशय: । “मैं रणभूमिमें कुन्तीके सभी पुत्रों और सामने आये हुए सोमकोंपर भी विजय प्राप्त कर लूँगा। इसमें भी संदेह नहीं कि मैं तुम्हारा सेनापति होऊँगा और ऐसे व्यूहका निर्माण करूँगा, जिसे शत्रु लाँघ नहीं सकेंगे। दुर्योधन! यह मैं तुमसे सच्ची बात कहता हूँ। इसमें कोई संशय नहीं है” 'भीष्म, द्रोणाचार्य और कर्ण--ये सब लोग युद्धमें जैसे पराक्रमी थे, वैसे ही या उनसे भी बढ़कर पराक्रमी मैं मद्रराज शल्यको मानता हूँ
sañjaya uvāca |
yādṛg bhīṣmas tathā droṇo yādṛk karṇaś ca saṃyuge |
tādṛśas tad-viśiṣṭo vā madrarājo mataḥ mama |
iti satyaṃ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṃśayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “As Bhīṣma was, and as Droṇa was, and as Karṇa was in battle—so is the king of Madra (Śalya), or even superior to them: such is my judgment. This I declare as truth, O Duryodhana; there is no doubt.” In context, the statement underscores the Kaurava camp’s reliance on martial prowess and reputation as a basis for confidence, even as the war’s ethical weight and the consequences of leadership choices continue to unfold.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wartime decisions often rest on assessments of strength and reputation; yet such confidence does not resolve the deeper ethical burden of the war—power can inspire certainty, but it cannot guarantee righteousness or outcomes.
Sañjaya reports an evaluation to Duryodhana: Śalya, king of Madra, is judged to be as formidable in battle as Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Karṇa—or even more so—reinforcing the Kauravas’ expectation of advantage under Śalya’s leadership.