Shloka 17
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
हते द्रोणे च भीष्मे च सूतपुत्रे च पातिते । शल्य: पार्थान् रणे सर्वान् निहनिष्यति मारिष,माननीय नरेश! द्रोणाचार्य, भीष्म तथा सूतपुत्र कर्णके मारे जानेपर आपके पुत्रोंके मनमें यह प्रबल आशा हो गयी कि शल्य रणभूमिमें सम्पूर्ण कुन्तीकुमारोंका वध कर डालेंगे
hate droṇe ca bhīṣme ca sūtaputre ca pātite | śalyaḥ pārthān raṇe sarvān nihaniṣyati māriṣa ||
三阇耶说道：“可敬的君主啊！当德罗那与毗湿摩被杀，车夫之子迦尔纳也被击倒之时，你的诸子便生起强烈的希望：‘沙利耶必定会在战斗中诛灭普利塔的一切儿子。’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, even after catastrophic losses, attachment to victory can generate renewed—and often unrealistic—confidence. It underscores the moral and psychological momentum of war: hope can persist as a form of denial, prolonging violence rather than prompting reflection on dharma and the cost of continued conflict.
After the deaths of major Kaurava champions—Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and Karṇa—Sañjaya reports that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Kauravas) place their remaining hope in Śalya, believing he will be able to kill all the Pāṇḍavas on the battlefield.