Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)
युगं चैवानुकर्ष च शरभूतम भूत्तदा । प्रभो! अर्जुनके रथके पहिये, कूबर, ईषादण्ड, लगाम या जोते, जूआ और अनुकर्ष-- ये सब-के-सब उस समय बाणमय हो रहे थे
yugaṃ caivānukarṣaṃ ca śarabhūtam abhūt tadā | prabho! arjunake rathake pahiye, kūbara, īṣādaṇḍa, lagāma yā jote, jūā aura anukarṣa—ye saba-ke-saba usa samaya bāṇamaya ho rahe the |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai tuanku, pada saat itu bahkan kuk dan tali penarik pun seolah-olah menjadi daripada anak panah. Sesungguhnya roda kereta Arjuna, tiang dan bahagian kuknya, tali kekang dan abah-abah, kuk dan jejak penarik—segala-galanya sedang bertukar menjadi gumpalan anak panah.”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how, in unchecked conflict, even the tools meant to guide and restrain (reins, yoke, harness) are overwhelmed—suggesting an ethical warning: violence can consume the very structures that enable control, order, and right conduct.
Sañjaya describes the ferocity of the fighting: arrows are so dense that Arjuna’s chariot equipment—wheels, pole, yoke, reins, and traces—appears as if transformed into arrows, emphasizing the battle’s intensity and danger.