09.006
Pancharatra and Core: King Shlaya was anointed as commander-in-chief. Krishna advises Yudhisthira to take on Shalya directly, himself.
Sanjaya said:
Upon hearing the king's words, the powerful king of Madra addressed Duryodhana, saying these words, O king.
Duryodhana, mighty-armed, listen to the best of the eloquent. As long as you think that Krishna and Arjuna, standing on the chariot, are the best of charioteers, to me, these two are not equal in the strength of arms in any way.
I am prepared to fight the entire world, including gods, demons, and humans, in my anger, so why not the Pandavas? I will defeat the sons of Pritha and the assembled Somakas in battle.
"I will undoubtedly become your army leader and arrange a formation that the enemies cannot cross. This is the truth I speak, Duryodhana, without a doubt."
Having been thus addressed, the king then easily anointed the lord of Madras in the midst of the army, O best of the Bharatas, following the rules as prescribed by the scriptures, appearing joyful, O lord of the people.
After he was anointed, a great lion's roar arose. In your armies, O Bharata, musical instruments were played.
The joyful warriors and the great charioteers of the Madras then praised King Shalya, who was glorious in battle.
"Victory to you, O king! Live long and conquer the gathered enemies. With your strength, the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra shall rule the entire earth, having vanquished all foes."
You are indeed powerful enough to conquer in battle alongside gods, demons, and humans; so what challenge do the Somakas and Sṛñjayas pose here?
Thus, the strong lord of the Madras, being praised, experienced joy, which is difficult for the unrefined to attain.
Śalya said:
"Today, I will either slay all the Panchalas along with the Pandavas in battle, O king, or I will go to heaven if slain."
Today, let the world witness me moving fearlessly. Today, all the sons of Pandu, along with Vasudeva and Satyaki, are present.
The Panchalas, the Edas, and indeed all the sons of Draupadi, along with Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and all the Prabhadrakas were present.
"Let them witness my valor, the immense strength of my bow, the agility, the prowess in weaponry, and the might of my arms in battle."
Today, let the sons of Pritha, along with the perfected beings and Charanas, witness the kind of strength and wealth that resides in my arms.
Today, upon witnessing my valor, let the great warriors among the Pandavas prepare themselves and engage in various strategies.
Today, in the presence of Droṇa and Bhīṣma, I will drive away the armies of the Pāṇḍavas from all sides, O lord. Along with Karna, I will move in the battlefield, fighting for the sake of your dear ones, O Kaurava.
Sanjaya said:
When Śalya was made the commander, your troops, O giver of honor, did not regard the loss of Karna at all, O descendant of Bharata.
The soldiers there were joyful and cheerful, believing that the sons of Pritha had been slain and were now under the control of the Madra king.
Having achieved great joy, your army, O best of the Bharatas, slept peacefully that night, as if with a calm mind.
Upon hearing the sound of your army, King Yudhishthira addressed Krishna with words, as all the warriors listened.
O Madhava, Shalya, the king of Madra, was appointed as the commander by Dhritarashtra's son and was honored among all the armies as a great archer.
Upon hearing this, O Mādhava, act according to what has happened and what is appropriate. You are the leader and protector, so arrange what follows.
Vasudeva addressed the great king, saying, 'O Bhārata, I truly know Ārtāyani.'
He is a strong and radiant great soul, especially accomplished and a skilled warrior, endowed with agility.
In my opinion, the King of Madra is as distinguished as Bhishma, Drona, and Karna in battle, or perhaps even more so.
O Bharata, while thinking in the battle of the fighting one, I do not find a warrior of equal form, O lord of people.
O Bharata, Shikhandi, Arjuna, Bhima, Satyaki, and Dhrishtadyumna were superior in strength in battle.
The king of Madra, a great ruler with the strength of a lion and elephant, will move fearlessly through time, like time itself when it is angry among the people.
Today, I see no one who can oppose him in battle except you, O tiger among men, who are as valiant as a tiger.
In the whole world, including the gods, there is no one other than you who can slay the furious Madra king in battle, O descendant of Kuru, who daily challenges and disturbs your forces.
Therefore, defeat Śalya in battle just as Indra defeated Śambara. Later, this hero was honored by Dhritarashtra.
"Your victory is assured once the king of Madra is killed in battle. With his fall, the entire mighty force of Dhritarashtra's sons will be vanquished."
Upon hearing these words of mine, O great king, at this moment, go forth to meet the mighty king of Madra in battle, O son of Pritha. Slay him, O mighty-armed one, just as Indra slew Namuci.
"Do not show compassion here, as this is my uncle. Indeed, prioritize the warrior's duty and slay the king of Madra."
After overcoming the formidable challenges posed by Bhishma and Drona, and the deep-rooted threat of Karna, do not falter with your forces when you encounter Shalya, as it is insignificant like a cow's hoofprint.
Show all your strength of penance and warrior's power in battle and defeat this great chariot-warrior.
After speaking these words, Keshava, the slayer of enemy heroes, went to the camp in the evening, where he was honored by the Pandavas.
When Keshava had departed, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, after dismissing all his brothers, the Panchalas, and the Somakas, slept that night like an unwounded elephant.
The Panchalas and Pandavas, all great archers, were filled with joy at Karna's death and slept peacefully that night.
The Pandavas' army, freed from distress and having crossed a great hurdle, became joyful at night upon the death of Karna, having achieved victory, O lord.
