Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.21.1 - Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 1
Dvārakā’s Distress and the Saubha Engagement (द्वारकाव्यग्रता तथा सौभयुद्धम्)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत अ्जुनाभिगमनपर्वमें सौभवधोपाख्यानविषयक बीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ २० ॥। हि मय ० (0) है 7 एकविशो< ध्याय: श्रीकृष्णका शाल्वकी ला मोहित होकर पुन: सजग ना वायुदेव उवाच एवं स पुरुषव्यात्र शाल्वराजो महारिपु: । युध्यमानो मया संख्ये वियदभ्यगमत् पुनः
vāyudeva uvāca | evaṃ sa puruṣavyāghra śālvārājo mahāripuḥ | yudhyamāno mayā saṅkhye viyad abhyagamat punaḥ ||
Vāyudeva berkata: “Demikianlah, wahai harimau di kalangan manusia, raja Śālva—musuh besarku—walaupun sedang bertempur denganku di tengah gelanggang perang, sekali lagi naik dan berundur ke angkasa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a powerful adversary may avoid direct confrontation when pressed; the verse highlights the shifting nature of conflict—valor must be paired with vigilance, since an enemy can disengage and return under more favorable conditions.
Vāyudeva narrates that King Śālva, though fighting with him in battle, again ascends into the sky—indicating a tactical withdrawal or escape into the aerial realm.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata (Gita Press) in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.