Shloka 26
Book 3, Āraṇyaka-parva — Adhyāya 19: Pradyumna’s Reproach of Withdrawal and the Ethics of Kṣātra Reputation
तत उत्थाय राजेन्द्र शाल्व: परमदुर्मना: । व्यपायात् सबलस्तूर्ण प्रद्युम्नशरपीडित:,राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर शाल्व उठकर अत्यन्त दु:खितचित्त हो प्रद्युम्नके बाणोंसे पीड़ित होनेके कारण अपनी सेनाके साथ तुरंत भाग गया
tata utthāya rājendra śālvaḥ paramadurmanāḥ | vyapāyāt sabalastūrṇaṃ pradyumnaśarapīḍitaḥ ||
Then, O best of kings, Śālva rose up, his mind overwhelmed with distress. Wounded and harried by Pradyumna’s arrows, he quickly withdrew, fleeing together with his forces. The episode underscores how arrogance and hostile intent, when met by rightful valor, collapse into fear and retreat.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hostile pride and wrongful aggression often end in humiliation: when confronted by steadfast valor and skill, the aggressor’s confidence collapses into distress and retreat. The verse also reflects the kṣatriya-world ethic that battlefield outcomes reveal the real strength of resolve and discipline.
Śālva, struck and pressured by Pradyumna’s arrows, becomes deeply dejected, rises, and swiftly retreats from the field along with his troops.