King Salya: An Underrated Warrior
This image fits Salya’s description in the text, as one of the strongest men in the world, and compared to the moon in his beauty (unlike the scrawny balding guy they showed him as in the Star Plus Mahabharata.)
King Salya
- Class: Atirathi
- Weapon(s) - Bow and Arrow, Gada
Feats
Salya is another incredibly powerful warrior who gets underrated by Quorans. Too often do I see him get placed low when in reality he’s a high-tier warrior. He is NOT below warriors like Bhurishrava or Dhrishtadyumna.
King Salya defeated Satyaki
“The king of Madra angrily struck Satyaki with nine arrows and pierced him again with seventy arrows with drooping tufts. O venerable one! He struck down the bow in his93 hand, with an arrow affixed to it and, in the battle, dispatched his four horses to the land of the dead. Satyaki was deprived of his chariot by the immensely strong king of Madra, who struck him with one hundred arrows from every direction. O Kouravya! He then pierced Madri’s angry sons, Pandava Bhimasena and Yudhishthira with ten arrows each. We witnessed the king of Madra’s extraordinary manliness. Even though they were together, the Parthas could not counter him in the battle.”
King Salya cut the bow of Satyaki
“He pierced Yudhishthira with ten sharp arrows. Satyaki was angry that Dharma’s son was thus afflicted by arrows. He enveloped the brave lord of Madra with torrents of arrows. In Bhimasena’s presence, he then used a kshurapra arrow to slice down Satyaki’s large bow and struck him with three arrows.”
King Salya tied Bhima in Gada-Yuddha
“The club of the king of Madra struck Bhima on the left and the right. But he did not waver, like a mountain that has been struck. Similarly, the immensely strong Bhima’s club struck the lord of Madra. But he bore it with patience, like a mountain struck by the vajra. They raised their giant clubs and attacked each other with great force. They repeatedly roamed around, executing circular motions. They approached each other by eight steps and suddenly attacked each other like elephants wishing to kill each other, with clubs like iron rods. They were severely wounded from the force of each other’s clubs. The brave ones simultaneously fell down, like shattered poles of Indra.”
King Salya again fought equally with Bhima in Gada-Yuddha
“They were severely struck in their inner organs and lost their senses. Shalya, bull among the Madras, was severely struck by the club and Kripa used his chariot to swiftly bear him away from the field of battle. Bhimasena was also weakened and senseless.
King Salya overpowered Yudhishthira
‘“In the battle, the great archer, Yudhishthira, fought with the king of Madra. He was protected by a large army and oppressed him. In that encounter for the sake of Bhishma, the valiant king of Madra was enraged and afflicted the maharatha who was Dharma’s son
King Salya defeated Dhrishtadyumna, who was rescued by Abhimanyu
“Shalya oppressed Dhrishtadyumna with nine arrows. He was enraged and oppressed the lord of Madra with iron arrows. We then witnessed Parshata’s extraordinary valour, as he swiftly countered Shalya, the adornment of assemblies. As they engaged in battle, no gap could be seen and the battle between the two seemed to last only for an instant. O great king! In that encounter, Shalya sliced down Dhrishtadyumna’s bow with a broad-headed, yellow and sharp arrow. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He enveloped him with a shower of arrows and it was like clouds showering down rain on mountains at the time of the monsoon. When Dhrishtadyumna was thus tormented, Abhimanyu became angry. With great force, he dashed towards the chariot of the king of Madra.”
King Salya was toying with the Madreyas and while doing so defeated Nakula
Finding himself engaged in battle with his maternal uncle, Sahadeva repulsed him with a shower of arrows, like clouds shrouding the sun. Covered by that shower of arrows, he seemed to be happy.281 On account of their mother, the twins were also extremely delighted. O king! In that battle, smilingly, the maharatha282 used four supreme arrows to despatch Nakula’s four horses to Yama’s abode. With the horses slain, the maharatha283 quickly descended from his chariot and ascended onto his illustrious brother’s vehicle.
A chariotless, armorless Salya defeated Nakula with nothing but a sword and shield
“When his armour was severed by Bhimasena, the lord of Madra picked up a shield that was marked with the signs of one thousand stars. The great-souled one jumped down from his chariot. Grasping a sword, he dashed towards Kunti’s son. Terrible in his strength, he destroyed Nakula’s chariot and advanced towards Yudhishthira.”
King Salya defeated Sahadeva
“When the horses were slain, Pandu’s descendant descended from his chariot and fought with a club in his hand, like Yama with an upraised staff. In his sight, the king of Madra slew Sahadeva’s horses”
King Salya killed Uttara Kumara and his elephant
Shalya countered it. However, that king of ele- phants was enraged. It placed its leg on the yoke of the chariot and killed the four large and well-trained horses. Though the horses were killed, the lord of Madra remained on his chariot. So as to kill Uttara, he hurled a lance that was like a serpent. His68 body and armour were pierced and he was submerged in great darkness.69 With the grip on goad and lance loosened, he fell down from the shoulder of the elephant. Shalya grasped a sword and descended from his supreme chariot. With great valour, he sliced off the great trunk of that king among elephants. With its inner parts pierced by showers of arrows and with its trunk severed, the elephant let out a terrible roar. It fell down on the ground and died.
King Salya defeated Virata
‘“Virata advanced against Drona, powerfully and swiftly. But the king of Madra shrouded the archer with a torrent of arrows. In the battle, both of them were firm archers and a duel commenced between them. O king! It was like that between Jambha163 and Vasava in ancient times. O great king! Virata was the leader of an army and the king of Madra quickly struck him with a hundred sharp arrows with straight tufts. The king164 pierced him back with nine sharp arrows. He then struck him again with seventy-three arrows and yet again with one hundred. The king of Madra slew the four horses that were yoked to his chariot. In that encounter, he brought down his charioteer and his standard from his chariot.
King Salya defeated Shankha, son of Virata
Then Shalya grasped a club in his hand and descended from his great chariot. O bull among the Bharata lineage! He killed Shankha’s four horses. When his horses were slain, Shankha alighted from his chariot and grasping a sword, ran towards Bibhatsu’s72 chariot. Climbing onto it, he found peace again.
Verdict
I think Salya’s feats speak for themselves. He has only ever been defeated by the following warriors
- Arjuna
- Abhimanyu
- Bhima
- Yudhishthira
- Nakula
- Sahadeva (It was a 1v2 where both Madreyas fought Shalya)
Of these warriors he has also defeated Nakula and Sahadeva, and tbh he was described as smiling during his loss to Nakula and his loss to Sahadeva, and the circumstances under which he beat Nakula and Sahadeva are much more impressive. He has also overpowered Yudhishthira at one point but Yudhishthira is positive against Shalya record-wise. He has also beaten powerful warriors like SATYAKI, and Dhrishtadyumna.