Shloka 20
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā
हाहाकृतमभूत् सैन्यं शाल्वस्य पृथिवीपते । नष्टसंज्ञे निपतिते तदा सौभपतौ नृूपे,पृथ्वीपते! उस समय सौभ विमानका स्वामी राजा शाल्व जब संज्ञाशून्य होकर धराशायी हो गया, तब उसकी समस्त सेनामें हाहाकार मच गया
hāhākṛtam abhūt sainyaṃ śālvasya pṛthivīpate | naṣṭasaṃjñe nipatite tadā saubhapatau nṛpe ||
Ó rei, quando Śālva—senhor da terra e mestre da cidade aérea de Saubha—caiu sem sentidos, todo o seu exército foi tomado pelo pânico, e ergueu-se um grande clamor de aflição. A cena mostra quão depressa a confiança marcial se desfaz quando a liderança é abatida, e como a fortuna da guerra depende da firmeza de espírito e do comando.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of collective morale in war: when the leader loses composure or is incapacitated, the army’s confidence collapses into chaos. It implicitly values steadiness, responsible command, and the ethical weight borne by rulers whose condition affects many.
Vāyudeva describes a battlefield moment: King Śālva, identified as the master of the Saubha aerial city, falls unconscious. Seeing their king down, Śālva’s troops erupt in a loud outcry and disorder.