द्रोणपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः (Droṇa Parva, Chapter 15): युधिष्ठिर-रक्षा तथा अर्जुनस्य शरवृष्टिः
संजयने कहा--राजन्! राजा शल्य अपने सारथिको मारा गया देख कुपित हो उठे और पूर्णतः लोहेकी बनी हुई गदा उठाकर गर्जते हुए अपने उत्तम रथसे कूद पड़े ।।
sañjaya uvāca—rājan! rājā śalyaḥ sva-sārathiṁ hataṁ dṛṣṭvā kupito ’bhavat, ayomayīṁ mahā-gadāṁ samutkṣipya garjan rathāt praskandya. taṁ dīptam iva kālāgniṁ daṇḍa-hastam ivāntakaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhīmaḥ pragr̥hya mahatīṁ gadāṁ javena abhyapatat.
三阇耶说道:“大王啊,沙利耶王见自己的御者被杀,怒焰顿起;他咆哮着抓起一柄巨大的铁槌,从那上等战车上一跃而下。毗摩见他逼来,犹如劫末炽燃之火,又如执罚杖的死神,便握紧自己的巨槌,以惊人的速度迎面冲去。”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how grief and anger on the battlefield can swiftly turn into destructive resolve, and it contrasts that emotional surge with the warrior’s code: facing danger directly. The imagery of kālāgni and Antaka underscores the ethical weight of violence—combat is portrayed not as sport but as an encounter with death and consequence.
After Shalya’s charioteer is killed, Shalya becomes furious, grabs a heavy iron mace, and jumps from his chariot to fight on foot. Bhima, seeing Shalya’s terrifying advance likened to cosmic fire and Death, takes up his own mace and charges toward him, setting up a mace-to-mace confrontation.