Shloka 21
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
अभ्यवर्षत धर्मात्मा कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । धर्मात्मा राजा शल्यने वर्षा करनेवाले इन्द्रकी भाँति कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरपर बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी ।। भीमसेनं शरैश्वापि रुक्मपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:,महाबली शल्यने भीमसेन, द्रौपदीके सभी पुत्र, माद्रीकुमार नकुल-सहदेव, धृष्टद्युम्न, सात्यकि तथा शिखण्डी--इनमेंसे प्रत्येकको शिलापर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखवाले दस-दस बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया। तत्पश्चात् वे वर्षाकालमें जल बरसानेवाले इन्द्रके समान बाणोंकी वृष्टि करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
abhyavarṣata dharmātmā kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram |
dharmātmā rājā śalyas tu varṣā-karaṇavān iva indraḥ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram iṣubhir abhyavarṣat ||
bhīmasenaṃ śaraiś cāpi rukma-puṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ |
mahābalī śalyas tu bhīmasenaṃ draupadeyān mādrīputrau nakula-sahadevau dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ sātyakiṃ śikhaṇḍinaṃ ca pratyekaṃ daśa-daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ samavidhyat |
tataḥ sa varṣā-kāle jalada iva indraḥ śara-vṛṣṭiṃ mumoca ||
Sañjaya berkata: Yudhiṣṭhira, putera Kuntī yang berjiwa dharma, dihujani anak panah—Raja Śalya, yang juga termasyhur akan kebenaran, mula menurunkan hujan panah ke atasnya seperti Indra membawa hujan monsun. Dengan anak panah berbulu emas yang diasah di batu, Śalya yang perkasa turut memanah Bhīmasena, setiap putera Draupadī, dua putera Mādrī—Nakula dan Sahadeva—serta Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Sātyaki, dan Śikhaṇḍin; masing-masing dilukainya dengan sepuluh anak panah. Sesudah itu ia mencurahkan hujan senjata, bagaikan Indra menurunkan derasnya hujan pada musimnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violent conflict, the epic frames warriors through the lens of dharma: the epithet dharmātmā highlights that reputation and inner disposition are judged ethically, while the narrative shows how duty-bound combat can coexist with moral evaluation—without romanticizing the destruction it causes.
Sanjaya reports that King Shalya launches an intense arrow-barrage: first focusing on Yudhishthira, then striking Bhima, Draupadi’s sons, Nakula and Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, and Shikhandi—ten arrows each—likening the missile-storm to Indra’s monsoon rain.