Shloka 28
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
“'जनार्दन! भूरिश्रवा, शल्य, शाल्व तथा अवन्ति देशके वीर मारे गये तो भी यह युद्धकी ज्वाला शान्त न हो सकी ।। जयद्रथे च निहते राक्षसे चाप्यलायुधे । बाह्विके सोमदत्ते च नैवाशाम्यत वैशसम्,“जयद्रथ, बाह्विक, सोमदत्त तथा राक्षस अलायुध--ये सभी परलोकवासी हो गये तो भी यह युद्धकी प्यास न बुझ सकी
sañjaya uvāca— “janārdana! bhūriśravāḥ śalyaḥ śālva tathā avanti-deśake vīrā māritā api, naiva yuddha-jvālā śāntim agamat. jayadrathe ca nihate rākṣase cāpy alāyudhe, bāhvike somadatte ca, naivāśāmyata vaiśasam.”
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Janardana! Walaupun para wira seperti Bhurishravas, Shalya, Shalva, dan pahlawan dari negeri Avanti telah terbunuh, nyala perang ini belum juga padam. Bahkan setelah Jayadratha ditewaskan, raksasa Alayudha turut gugur, dan Bahvika serta Somadatta pun rebah, keganasan itu tetap tidak surut.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the self-perpetuating nature of hatred and vengeance: even the fall of renowned warriors does not automatically end violence. Ethically, it points to how adharma-driven conflict becomes a consuming fire (yuddha-jvālā) that is not easily extinguished merely by victory or death, but requires a change in intent and restraint.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra, addressing Krishna as ‘Janardana’ in the quoted speech, that despite the deaths of major Kaurava-side figures—Bhurishravas, Shalya, Shalva, a warrior from Avanti, Jayadratha, the rakshasa Alayudha, Bahvika, and Somadatta—the slaughter and momentum of the Kurukshetra war continue unabated.