How strong was King Shalya?

 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.