Shloka 2
अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
प्रत्युद्ययुस्त्रिगर्तास्तं शिबय: कौरवै: सह । शाल्वा: संशप्तकाश्नचैव नारायणबलं च तत्,उस समय उनका सामना करनेके लिये त्रिगर्त, शिबि, कौरवोंसहित शाल्व, संशप्तकगण तथा नारायणी-सेनाके सैनिक आगे बढ़े
pratyudyayus trigartās taṃ śibayaḥ kauravaiḥ saha | śālvāḥ saṃśaptakāś caiva nārāyaṇabalaṃ ca tat ||
അവനെ നേരിടാൻ ത്രിഗർത്തർ മുന്നേറി; കൗരവരോടൊപ്പം ശിബികളും, ശാൽവരും, സംശപ്തകരും, ആ നാരായണീ സൈന്യവും കൂടി മുന്നോട്ട് നീങ്ങി।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective action in war is shaped by allegiance and duty: multiple groups advance together to confront an opponent. It implicitly raises the ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma—courage and steadfastness—while also showing how vows (as with the Saṃśaptakas) can intensify commitment beyond ordinary prudence.
Sañjaya reports that several Kaurava-aligned forces—Trigartas, Śibis, Śālvas, the vow-bound Saṃśaptakas, and the Nārāyaṇa contingent—move forward to meet and oppose a particular warrior on the battlefield, indicating a coordinated attempt to check his advance.