Shloka 7
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तमाने युद्धे भीरुभयावहे । पूर्वाह्न चापि सम्प्राप्ते भास्करोदयनं प्रति,राजन! पूर्वह्निकाल प्राप्त होनेपर सूर्योदयके समय जब कायरोंका भय बढ़ानेवाला वर्तमान युद्ध चल रहा था, उस समय महात्मा अर्जुनसे सुरक्षित शत्रु-योद्धा, जो लक्ष्य वेधनेमें कुशल थे, मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्त होनेकी सीमा नियत करके आपकी सेनाके साथ जूझने लगे
tasmiṁs tathā vartamāne yuddhe bhīru-bhayāvahe | pūrvāhṇe cāpi samprāpte bhāskarodayanaṁ prati, rājan |
Sañjaya disse: “Ó Rei, enquanto aquela batalha — aterradora e feita para aumentar o medo dos tímidos — assim prosseguia em fúria, e enquanto a manhã avançava rumo ao nascer do sol, os guerreiros inimigos, resguardados do grande Arjuna e hábeis em atingir seus alvos, enfrentaram o teu exército, tendo fixado a própria morte como o único limite além do qual não se retirariam do combate.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: warriors set death as the ultimate boundary rather than retreat, contrasting courage with the fear that overwhelms the timid. It frames battle as a moral test of resolve under terror.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that as the morning progressed, the battle intensified. Enemy fighters—shielded from Arjuna’s direct threat and skilled in marksmanship—pressed against the king’s forces, determined to fight without withdrawing except by death.