Mahabharata 9.17.86 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 86
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
चतुर्भिनिजघानाश्चान् पत्रिभि: कृतवर्मण: । विव्याध गौतमं चापि षड्भिर्भल्लै: सुतेजनै:
caturbhir nijaghānāśvān patribhiḥ kṛtavarmaṇaḥ | vivyādha gautamaṃ cāpi ṣaḍbhir bhallaiḥ sutejanaiḥ ||
ສັນຊະຍະເວົ້າວ່າ: ກະສັດຢຸທິສຖິຣະໄດ້ຍິງລູກສອນ 4 ດອກ ສັງຫານມ້າ 4 ຕົວຂອງກຣິຕະວັຣມະນະ; ແລະດ້ວຍລູກສອນບະຫຼາ (bhalla) ຄົມກົດ 6 ດອກ ລາວຍັງແທງກົຕະມະ (ກຣິປະ) ໃຫ້ບາດເຈັບ. ພາບນີ້ຕອກຢ້ຳຈັນຍາອັນໝອງມົວຂອງຄວາມຈຳເປັນໃນສະໜາມຮົບ ເມື່ອແມ່ນແຕ່ກະສັດຜູ້ສຸພາບຮອບຄອບກໍຕ້ອງກະທຳຄວາມຮຸນແຮງຢ່າງຕັດສິນໃຈ ເພື່ອສະກັດກັ້ນສັດຕູທີ່ແຂງແກ່ງ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between personal restraint and kṣatriya-duty: even a dharma-minded king like Yudhiṣṭhira must act swiftly and decisively in war to neutralize threats, illustrating how dharma in battle often operates under harsh necessity rather than ideal gentleness.
In the ongoing battle, Yudhiṣṭhira targets Kṛtavarman’s mobility by killing his four horses with four arrows, then turns to Kṛpa (called Gautama) and wounds him with six sharp bhalla arrows, marking a forceful counterattack against prominent Kaurava warriors.
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