Shloka 22
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
विशस्तं भ्रातरं दृष्टवा कर्णपुत्रौ महारथौ । सुषेण: सत्यसेनश्व मुज्चन्ती विविधान् शरान्
viśastaṁ bhrātaraṁ dṛṣṭvā karṇaputrau mahārathau | suṣeṇaḥ satyasenaś ca muñcanti vividhān śarān |
Sañjaya berkata: “Melihat saudara mereka ditewaskan, dua putera Karṇa—kedua-duanya maharathi, Suṣeṇa dan Satyasena—mula melepaskan hujan anak panah pelbagai jenis.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: in war, attachment to kin and the shock of loss often propel immediate retaliation. It illustrates how sorrow can harden into wrath, intensifying violence and obscuring reflective restraint (kṣamā) and discernment (viveka).
Sañjaya reports that after seeing their brother killed, Karṇa’s two sons, Suṣeṇa and Satyasena, respond as frontline warriors by shooting diverse volleys of arrows, signaling a surge of counterattack driven by grief and loyalty.