Dharmaraja quickly recovered from the force of the earlier assault and, with renewed determination, struck Śalya with a formidable double-edged iron bar. Satyaki hurled a massive pestle, Bhīmasena launched a heavy spear, Nakula released his mighty Śakti, and Sahadeva sent forth a crushing mace. Yet Śalya, the unrivalled master of martial discipline, shattered every weapon in mid-air with precisely aimed arrows. The broken missiles burst into fragments, releasing clouds of smoke and flashes of fire that illuminated the battlefield. Exulting in his flawless display of skill, Śalya roared like a triumphant lion, proclaiming his supremacy before both armies.
Undaunted by this astonishing feat, Satyaki, aflame with indomitable courage, pierced Śalya with two swift arrows and struck his charioteer with three more. Enraged by the challenge, Śalya instantly discharged five arrows in a single release. Their deadly impact overwhelmed Satyaki and his charioteer, leaving them unconscious upon their chariot. Sanjaya then addressed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, saying, “Your son Duryodhana, beholding Śalya’s irresistible prowess, rejoiced in the mistaken belief that the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas was now certain.”
Śalya’s relentless challenge stirred Bhīmasena, who eagerly stepped forward to confront him. Moments later, Satyaki, Nakula, and Sahadeva gathered around Bhīma, and together they engaged Śalya in fierce, multi-man combat. Yet the Madra king’s disciplined strategy, flawless timing, and superior judgment steadily gave him the advantage. Such was the grandeur of his warfare that he appeared to disregard the combined strength of his mighty opponents.
Meanwhile, Dharmaraja struck a decisive blow by severing the head of Śalya’s renowned wheel-guard, the celebrated warrior Dhyumasena. The fall of his trusted protector only intensified Śalya’s fury. Like a lion enraged by the plucking of its mane, he unleashed torrents of arrows upon Bhīma, Satyaki, Nakula, Sahadeva, their charioteers, and their noble steeds. His shafts pierced every warrior, drawing streams of blood and covering the field with anguish and destruction.
Witnessing the dreadful suffering of his companions, Dharmaraja felt profound sorrow within his heart. Yet he remembered the assuring words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and resolved that the Lord’s prophecy could never prove false. Meanwhile, Śalya’s ferocity continued to mount, provoking Bhīma and the Pāṇḍava heroes beyond endurance. At his command, his soldiers surged forward like the mighty waves of a restless ocean crashing upon the shore.
The adventurous Śalya moved through the battlefield with the irresistible force of Mount Mandara churning the Ocean of Milk. He shattered the formations of the opposing army and overwhelmed Dharmaraja, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and countless others beneath an unceasing storm of arrows. His shafts spread across the sky like a dark canopy, dimming the very daylight. Filled with admiration, Sanjaya declared to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya’s heroic bearing, fearless spirit, and majestic command won applause not only from friend and foe alike but also from the celestial hosts who watched the conflict from the heavens. Even the gods marvelled at his incomparable mastery of warfare and regal splendour.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the united Kaurava forces, standing beside Aśvatthāma, surrounded Arjuna. The son of Pāṇḍu tore through their ranks with terrifying fury. Warriors staggered about with severed arms, legs, and shattered limbs, many still clinging to life, becoming dreadful reminders of the terrible price of battle. Aśvatthāma, together with the Trigarta warriors, advanced proudly against Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, delighting Duryodhana by their fearless assault. Sanjaya declared that never before had he witnessed such savage heroism displayed with such relentless determination.
Though continually harassed by Aśvatthāma and the gathered hosts, Arjuna stood immovable like the swelling ocean. With unwavering concentration, he released celestial weapons that checked their advance. His anger was perfectly governed by discipline, and every arrow flew with flawless precision. He shattered banners, broke mighty bows, destroyed chariots, slew expert charioteers, crushed elephants, and scattered royal standards, white umbrellas, and ceremonial fans across the blood-soaked earth.
Before any warrior could comprehend the magnitude of his assault, rivers of blood coursed through the battlefield. Severed limbs and broken bones floated amidst the crimson torrents, while flesh dissolved into mire beneath the trampling armies. Jeweled ornaments, glittering crowns, and precious gems lay scattered upon the earth, their dazzling brilliance casting radiant colours across the red-soaked ground, as though a celestial rainbow had descended upon the field of destruction.
At that dreadful hour Arjuna resembled Rudra himself at the dissolution of creation. He slew two thousand mighty Mahārathas together with vast divisions of their armies. His irresistible prowess became unbearable even to the bravest warriors. Yet the courageous Aśvatthāma boldly approached and, with a shower of close-range arrows, sought to restrain the unconquerable son of Pāṇḍu.
Piercing Arjuna with twelve sharp shafts, the son of Droṇa momentarily checked his advance. Arjuna inwardly admired Aśvatthāma’s extraordinary courage and martial excellence. Aśvatthāma then hurled a massive pestle, but Arjuna shattered it in mid-air before it could reach its mark. Instantly he answered with three keen arrows that struck his formidable adversary, even as the surrounding Kaurava warriors rushed to Aśvatthāma’s aid.
At that moment the Pāñcāla prince Suradha advanced with his forces against Aśvatthāma. The son of Droṇa, with a sanctified and infallible arrow, severed Suradha’s head in a single stroke. Having slain the prince, Aśvatthāma once again mounted his chariot and charged fiercely toward Arjuna, restoring confidence among the shaken Kaurava ranks.
Elsewhere, Duryodhana confronted the radiant Dhṛṣṭadyumna, proudly striking him with five well-aimed arrows. Dhṛṣṭadyumna answered with seventy shafts that pierced Duryodhana and shook his resolve. The Kaurava king quickly rallied his brothers and supporting forces, who descended upon the Pāñcāla commander with a relentless shower of arrows. Undeterred, the enraged Dhṛṣṭadyumna drenched Duryodhana and all his brothers beneath an unceasing rain of shafts, throwing their formations into confusion.
Simultaneously, Śikhaṇḍī and the valiant Prabhadraka warriors engaged Kṛtavarmā and Kṛpācārya in a fierce encounter. The veteran heroes answered every assault with unwavering courage. Valor, endurance, precision, and consummate skill shone equally on both sides, filling all who witnessed the contest with eager anticipation, for none could foresee which champion would ultimately prevail.
Even while these terrible struggles raged across the field, Śalya continued to shower Dharmaraja with deadly arrows. Nakula, Sahadeva, and Satyaki hastened to relieve their elder brother and pressed hard upon the Madra king. Nakula struck Śalya upon the chest with ten well-directed arrows, but the veteran warrior calmly answered with three swift shafts that pierced his youthful nephew. Concluding his narration, Sanjaya declared before King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, “Śalya’s mastery, speed, and precision are beyond compare. To every opponent he appears as though he fights each warrior alone, such is the astonishing greatness of this rare and incomparable hero upon the field of battle.”
