Shloka 426
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
ततः शल्यस्य तनयं सहदेवोडसिनावधीत् । मद्रराज शल्यने अपने सामने आये हुए सहदेवके घोड़ोंको मार डाला। तब सहदेवने भी शल्यके पुत्रको तलवारसे मार गिराया
tataḥ śalyasya tanayaṃ sahadevo ’sina avadhīt | madrarājaḥ śalyaḥ svasyāgre samāyātān sahadevasya hayān jaghāna | tataḥ sahadevo ’pi śalyasya putraṃ khaḍgena nipātayām āsa |
تب سہ دیو نے شلیہ کے بیٹے کو تلوار سے گرا دیا۔ مدر راج شلیہ نے اپنے سامنے آئے ہوئے سہ دیو کے گھوڑوں کو مار ڈالا۔ اس کے جواب میں سہ دیو نے بھی شلیہ کے پتر کو اپنے ہتھیار کے وار سے زمین بوس کر دیا۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral economy of war: tactical harm (killing horses to disable a warrior) escalates into personal loss (the death of a son). It reflects how, in the Kurukṣetra conflict, even actions aligned with battlefield strategy intensify cycles of retaliation, illustrating the erosion of restraint and the tragic cost borne by families and lineages.
Sanjaya reports that Shalya kills Sahadeva’s horses in front of him. In response, Sahadeva strikes down Shalya’s son with a sword, bringing immediate lethal retribution amid the ongoing combat in the Shalya Parva.