Mahabharata 9.10.42 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 10, Shloka 42
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
चतुर्भिश्वतुरो वाहान् ध्वजं छित्त्वा च पञचभि:
caturbhiś caturaḥ vāhān dhvajaṃ chittvā ca pañcabhiḥ
សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយ៖ ដោយព្រួញបួន គាត់បានកាត់ទម្លាក់សេះទាំងបួន; ហើយដោយព្រួញប្រាំ គាត់បានកាត់ផ្តាច់ទង់ជ័យ—សកម្មភាពដែលបង្ហាញភាពត្រឹមត្រូវឥតមេត្តានៃជំនាញសមរភូមិ ដែលមិនត្រឹមតែប៉ងរបួសអ្នកយុទ្ធទេ ប៉ុន្តែបំផ្លាញកម្លាំងរថ និងទឹកចិត្ត ដោយវាយលើគ្រឹះនិងនិមិត្តសញ្ញារបស់វា។
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, effectiveness often lies in disabling the opponent’s capacity and morale (horses and banner) rather than merely striking the person—showing the ethical tension of kṣatriya warfare where skill serves victory within the harsh logic of battle.
Sañjaya reports a combat feat: a warrior (implied from context) shoots with such accuracy that four horses are cut down with four shots, and the chariot’s banner is severed with five, crippling mobility and symbolically humiliating the opponent.
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