Shloka 12
Book 3, Āraṇyaka-parva — Adhyāya 19: Pradyumna’s Reproach of Withdrawal and the Ethics of Kṣātra Reputation
अमृष्यमाणो<5पसव्यं प्रद्युम्नेन च सौभराट् । यन्तारमस्य सहसा त्रिभि्बाणै: समार्दयत्,सौभराज शाल्व प्रद्यम्नके द्वारा अपनी सेनाका अपसव्य किया जाना न सह सका। उसने सहसा तीन बाण चलाकर प्रद्युम्मके सारथिको घायल कर दिया
amṛṣyamāṇo 'pasavyaṃ pradyumnena ca saubharāṭ | yantāram asya sahasā tribhir bāṇaiḥ samārdhayat ||
Unable to endure that Pradyumna had forced his army into a leftward (inauspicious/defensive) turn, Śālva—the lord of Saubha—suddenly struck Pradyumna’s charioteer with three arrows, seeking to cripple his opponent’s mobility and thereby gain advantage in battle. The episode highlights how wounded pride and impatience can drive a warrior to target strategic supports rather than face the foe directly.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how intolerance and wounded ego in conflict can lead to ethically questionable tactics—attacking an opponent’s support system (the charioteer) to gain advantage—inviting reflection on restraint and fair conduct even amid war.
Śālva, angered that Pradyumna has forced his forces into a leftward maneuver, retaliates immediately by shooting three arrows at Pradyumna’s charioteer, aiming to disable the chariot’s control and shift the battle’s momentum.