Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)
ततः स पतितो भूमौ नाराचेन समाहतः । वज्नेण च यथा शज्र पर्वतस्येव दीर्यत:,नाराचसे घायल हुआ सुरथ वज्से विदीर्ण हुए पर्वतके शिखरकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
tataḥ sa patito bhūmau nārācena samāhataḥ | vajreṇa ca yathā śṛṅgaṁ parvatasyeva dīryataḥ ||
سنجے نے کہا—پھر وہ نارچ کے سخت وار سے زمین پر گر پڑا؛ جیسے وجر سے شگافتہ پہاڑ کی چوٹی ٹوٹ کر ڈھہ جائے۔
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the fragility of embodied power in war: strength and status can collapse instantly under violent force. Ethically, it serves as a stark reminder of the destructive consequences of battle and the impermanence of worldly might.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior is struck by a nārāca arrow and falls to the earth. The fall is compared to a mountain summit being split by a thunderbolt, emphasizing the severity of the blow and the dramatic collapse.