Shloka 35
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
बताओ तो सही, अर्जुनके सिवा दूसरा कौन ऐसा वीर है, जो साक्षात् विष्णु भगवानसे सुरक्षित यदुवंशियोंकी पुरीको, जिसकी उपमा देवराज इन्द्रद्वारा पालित देवनगरी अमरावतीसे दी जाती है, बलपूर्वक मथकर पुरुषोत्तम श्रीकृष्णकी छोटी बहिन सुभद्राका अपहरण कर सके ।।
śalya uvāca — brūhi satyam, arjunāt pṛthag anyaḥ kaḥ sa vīraḥ yo viṣṇu-bhagavatā sākṣāt rakṣitāṃ yaduvaṃśināṃ purīṃ, yasyā upamā devarājena indrēṇa pālitāyāḥ devanagaryāḥ amarāvatyāḥ kriyate, balāt pramathya puruṣottama-śrīkṛṣṇasya kaniṣṭhāṃ bhaginīṃ subhadrāṃ apaharitum aśaknot? tribhuvana-vibhūmi-kṣareśvaraṃ ka iha pumān bhavam āhvayed yudhi, mṛga-vadha-kalahe ṛte ’rjunāt, surapati-vīrya-sama-prabhāvataḥ.
舍利耶说道：“如实告诉我——除阿周那之外，还有谁是这般英雄，能凭一己之力闯入由都族之城？那城由毗湿奴亲自护卫，可比因陀罗守护的天都阿摩罗伐底；并且还能掳走至上者奎师那的幼妹苏跋陀罗？又除阿周那——其威力与光辉堪比天帝——这世间还有谁能在因猎杀野兽而起的争端中，竟敢向三界之主婆伐（湿婆）发起战斗的挑战？”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores Arjuna’s exceptional kṣatriya prowess by measuring him against divine standards: he can penetrate even a divinely protected city and can confront even Shiva in a contest. Ethically, it highlights how reputation in epic literature is built through extraordinary trials that test courage, resolve, and the limits of human agency under divine oversight.
In the Karna Parva context, Shalya speaks to emphasize Arjuna’s unmatched strength and fame. He recalls two celebrated exploits: Arjuna’s carrying off Subhadra from the Yadava capital (Dvaraka implied), and his earlier confrontation with Shiva during the dispute over a slain wild animal (the Kirata episode). These examples function as rhetorical proof that no warrior equals Arjuna.