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 |
三阇耶说道：随后，萨诃提婆以剑斩杀了沙利耶之子。摩陀罗王沙利耶又杀死了来到他面前的、属于萨诃提婆的战马。于是萨诃提婆立刻还击，以利刃将沙利耶之子斩落。
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.