Shloka 19
Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)
शतानीकः: शतं हत्वा विशालाक्षश्नतुःशतम् । प्रविष्टी महतीं सेनां त्रिगर्तानां महारथौ,इस प्रकार युद्ध करते-करते शतानीक सौ तथा विशालाक्ष (मदिराक्ष) चार सौ त्रिगर्त योद्धाओंको मारकर उनकी भारी सेनामें घुस गये। वे दोनों महारथी थे
śatānīkaḥ śataṁ hatvā viśālākṣaś catuḥśatam | praviṣṭī mahatīṁ senāṁ trigartānāṁ mahārathau ||
ഇങ്ങനെ യുദ്ധം തുടർന്നുകൊണ്ട് ശതാനീകൻ നൂറിനെയും വിശാലാക്ഷൻ (മദിരാക്ഷൻ) നാലുനൂറിനെയും ത്രിഗർത്ത യോദ്ധാക്കളെ വധിച്ച് അവരുടെ മഹാസേനയിൽ കയറി. അവർ ഇരുവരും മഹാരഥന്മാരായിരുന്നു।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: steadfast courage, tactical penetration of enemy ranks, and excellence in arms. At the same time, it implicitly reminds the reader that such prowess operates within the heavy ethical reality of war—victory is achieved through lethal force, which the epic repeatedly frames as both duty-bound and morally grave.
During the fighting against the Trigartas, Śatānīka kills one hundred opponents and Viśālākṣa (Madirākṣa) kills four hundred. After these feats, the two mahārathas force their way into the main body of the Trigarta army, intensifying the battle by breaking into the enemy formation.